BASF, a chemical company with a varied portfolio, will form a novel business unit termed “Battery Materials” that combines the present battery works of its Catalysts wing aimed at development of cathode materials, its Intermediates wing aimed at electrolyte formulations and its Future Business wing aimed at advanced lithium battery opportunities.
The BASF’s new business unit will be combined with the Catalysts division and headed by Ralf Meixner, who is Business Management’s Vice President in Industrial Petrochemicals Europe and will take over as Senior Vice President of the Battery Materials effective from January 1 of 2012.
Frank Bozich, President of Catalysts division of BASF, stated that since BASF is a leading global provider in the chemical industry offering products to the automotive sector, the company can anticipate significant prospects in the battery materials field. Bozich said that the company desires to create a team of experts in the battery materials field under the supervision of Ralf Meixner to create an high-growth business in the future.
The BASF’s new business unit will be effectively formed by integrating the present battery activities on January 1 of the year 2012. The consolidated operation of the BASF’s unit will be performed in the first six months of the year 2012.
Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, a Board Member of BASF’s Executive Directors and Research Executive Director, stated that the global business unit “Battery Materials” will enable the company to pursue a solutions-oriented integrated approach in order to benefit battery manufacturers by using its knowledge and expertise in a focused and uniform way.
The main focus of building the unit is to minimize the time used in finding new energy storage solutions in the market. Also the business unit of the BASF ensures the construction of facilities, which manufacture the battery materials, composites, and plastics, in Elyria, Ohio/USA. The manufactured materials can be used in applications including the lightweight automotive solutions and designs for enhancing thermal management, such as infrared reflective pigments used for vehicle interiors and coatings.
Source: http://www.basf.com/