Nano One Materials and BASF SE (BASF) have signed a joint development agreement (JDA) under which the companies will co-develop a process with reduced by-products for commercial production of next-generation cathode active materials (CAM), based on BASF’s HED-family of advanced CAM and using Nano One’s patented One-Pot process and metal direct to CAM (M2CAM) technologies.

BASF’s HED product family includes a series of high energy density cathode active materials—Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese oxide (NCM) and Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum oxide (NCA)—for lithium-ion batteries with a very high degree of purity, excellent product characteristics and proven abilities to support for the evolving requirements of batteries in automotive drivetrains.

Nano One and BASF will also use the M2CAM process for higher flexibility in terms of manufacturing approach and resulting product performance, reduced energy consumption and environmental footprint.

The joint development plan has various phases and stage gates and is the result of evaluating Nano One’s processes and products. The signing of the JDA represents a significant milestone in the business relationship between BASF and Nano One.

Last week, Nano One announced its acquisition of Johnson Matthey Battery Materials Canada (JMBM Canada), a supplier of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode material to the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery sector for both automotive and non-automotive applications for a select group of customers. (Earlier post.)