Japan’s UBE Corporation will build an EV battery chemicals factory in Louisiana to set up a US EV battery supply chain – and compete with China.
Chemical company UBE Corporation will invest $500 million to build the first US manufacturing facility for EV lithium-ion battery ingredients dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) in New Orleans.
There are currently no DMC nor EMC production facilities in the US.
DMC and EMC act as solvents in an EV lithium-ion battery’s electrolyte, enhancing ionic conductivity and facilitating the efficient transport of lithium ions between the anode and cathode during charging and discharging cycles. That contributes to extended battery life and increased driving range.
UBE Corporation says its New Orleans factory is “intended to bolster the…