SEMCORP Advanced Materials Group

As a global leader in lithium-ion battery separators, SEMCORP has successfully developed an aramid-coated film that effectively enhances the safety of lithium-ion batteries at high temperatures. This safety-reinforced film is the result of five years of development, from formulation to process design to product production. The product has now been approved by global customers for commercial-scale production and is already in use in cylindrical batteries in the market.

Technological innovation is at the heart of our product development. SEMCORP has independently developed highly heat-resistant base film products, offering a rupture temperature in excess of 200°C compared to 130-150°C in conventional separator products. This advancement is critical to continuous enhancements in battery safety.

Our new high-porosity and high-strength separator products, HSV7 and HSV9, enable rapid charging in our customers’ batteries (full charge in 15-20 minutes). These products represent significant technological breakthroughs and are the fruits of SEMCORP’s continuous heavy investments in R&D, further solidifying our position as the global leader in lithium-ion battery separator.

SEMCORP continues to invest heavily in innovation. At its world-class R&D center in Shanghai, scientists and engineers from around the world perform cutting-edge research on areas ranging from base film, inorganic and organic coating, recycling and energy-saving technologies, product testing and analysis, aluminum laminated film, water treatment, and other advanced battery material technologies. Our R&D activities are performed with the needs of our global customers in mind, and encompass the entire process from product development, engineering design, testing and verification to manufacturing.

As a global leader in lithium-ion battery separator, SEMCORP continues to be on the forefront of innovation. In 2023, SEMCORP invested $100 million USD, or more than 6% of its operating income, in R&D activities. To date, SEMCORP companies have obtained more than 600 patents, and have joint development or licensing relationships with industry giants such as LGES, Teijin and Celgard.

As a global leading supplier of lithium-ion battery separators, SEMCORP has been integrated into the supply chain systems of most mainstream lithium-ion battery manufacturing companies worldwide, including South Korea's LG, Samsung, Japan's Panasonic, CATL, CITIC Guoan, BYD, and EVE Energy, leading the market share by a wide margin.

With strong in-house R&D capabilities, a relentless focus on product development and a growing portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, SEMCORP has become the supplier with the broadest range of lithium-ion battery separator products in the market. We continue to achieve breakthroughs in the research, development and commercialization of high-end lithium-ion battery separator materials, such as high-porosity and high-strength separators and semi-solid electrolyte composite membranes.

Last month, SEMCORP Hungary—SEMCORP's first base in the EMEA region—signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with one of Hungary’s leading public universities, the University of Debrecen. Among other efforts, SEMCORP and the University will carry out research activities and development projects, further advancing the cutting edge of battery technology in Hungary.

Through deep collaboration with equipment manufacturers and software developers around the world, SEMCORP has become the global leader in “online coating” – a seamless integration of high-width base film production and film coating technologies. In an online coating process, base film production and film coating lines are integrated, eliminating the traditional steps of winding base film into rolls and unwinding them for coating. This integration reduces labor and material loss and enhances production efficiency and product consistency.

As a leading global supplier of lithium-ion battery separators, SEMCORP is relentlessly focused on improving the quality and performance of its separator products. Our state-of-the-art R&D center, consisting of 10 verticals spanning the lithium-ion battery materials ecosystem, boasts a team of hundreds of top talents joining us from around the world, including Asia and the United States.