Wacker Chemie takes 25% in British battery materials maker
12/09/2019 09:22
FRANKFURT, Sept 12 (Reuters) - German specialty chemicals
maker Wacker Chemie WCHG.DE on Thursday said it had bought a
quarter in British battery materials maker Nexeon Ltd.
No financial details were disclosed.
Nexeon makes silicon-based anode materials that improve the
performance of lithium-ion batteries, Wacker Chemie said, adding
the investment would intensify "its research activities on
silicon-based materials for high-performance batteries".
Anodes for standard lithium-ion batteries are currently made
from graphite materials, with suppliers including SGL Carbon
SGCG.DE , but researchers are working on alternatives based on
cheaper silicon.
UBS analysts said last year that Umicore UMI.BR has been
among the companies working on silicon anodes.
The anode forms the battery's positive pole which absorbs
lithium ions during charging.
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Ludwig Burger
Editing by Thomas Seythal)
((christoph.steitz@thomsonreuters.com; +49 69 7565 1269;
Reuters Messaging:
christoph.steitz.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))