NKK and LENZING AG celebrate 25 years of separator paper production with LENZING™ Lyocell fibers

• Cellulosic separators manufactured using LENZING™ Lyocell fibers have become an industry benchmark with a dominant market share for high performance super-capacitors
  

• The thinner separator papers enable energy conservation and contribute to a carbon zero future
  

The continued development of battery technologies emphasizes the need for further optimization in thickness reduction and performance of separator papers. The demand for increasingly sophisticated electrical storage devices and the required separator papers has grown since early adoption in aluminum electrolytic capacitors and they are now a vital part of the e-mobility revolution. Designed to enable sustainable energy solutions, the microfibrillar structure and thermal stability of LENZING™ Lyocell fibers make them a suitable ingredient in electrical separators for applications such as Lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors and electrolytic condensers, particularly in the new generation of electric vehicles. 

Lenzing and NKK are both committed to utilizing low environmental impact manufacturing to achieve decarbonization, echoing the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Through the partnership, Lenzing and NKK have been key drivers in accelerating the development of novel fiber and separator products respectively, continuing to provide sustainable solutions for future transport and energy needs.

“We are proud to be on such an exciting journey with NKK. Together we are making an important contribution to reducing global CO2 emissions through the development of high efficiency cellulose-based separator materials,” reflected Jürgen Eizinger, Vice President of Global Nonwovens Business, Lenzing AG. “The long-standing cooperation between our two companies combined with the low environmental impact of LENZING™ Lyocell fibers, which originate from renewable raw material wood, provides a beacon for tackling global warming.”

“NKK is delighted to celebrate our long-standing cooperation with Lenzing AG,” said Shunji Chikamori, President of NKK. “Separator papers with LENZINGTM Lyocell fibers, produced using NKK’s optimized paper manufacturing technology, have set the standard for our LEAF (LiB, EDLC, Alkaline and Functional) product portfolio. LENZING™ Lyocell fibers are an essential component in engineering quality performance of our materials.”