-Development of highly safe, long service life, high-capacity batteries completed-

Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. (President: Teiji Koge, hereinafter called "Sekisui Chemical") has been involved in the development of high-capacity film-type lithium-ion batteries using a coating process*, but on this occasion, with the completion of the development of the batteries which achieved the high safety, long cycle life as well as high capacity, it now decided to　enter into the commercialization phase. Stationary and housing storage market was estimated as the first target.

Sekisui Chemical has been receiving requests and inquiries from various customers since the aforementioned announcement, and has been supplying and evaluating samples since the summer of 2014. As a result, it was decided to aim for a market launch from the fields of stationary installation and homes, and vehicle application, which capitalizes on the fields that make good use of the features of large foot print, flatness, and high capacity.

In addition to developing a coating process that uses the aforementioned high-performance gel type electrolytes, high-capacity silicon type negative electrode materials, and gel type electrolyte, we have also established an electrode coating type insulation material and the process technology.

This new technology simultaneously achieves reducing the thickness of materials to achieve high capacity, and excellent heat and shock resistance, and through combination with Sekisui high-performance gel type electrolytes, it also offers a high-capacity film-type lithium-ion battery that combines high safety, long service life, and high capacity.

Further, the use of these materials and process technologies realized the large capacity cell, and it contributes to make the battery systems size significantly compact.
This cells and battery systems manufactured using the mass production equipment introduced this fiscal year have each been granted JET (Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories) general incorporated foundation: parts registration certification (parts and manufacturing process).

The future aim is to forge links with system manufacturers for the adoption by house builders in the fields of stationary and housing to introduce shipments in FY2016 and in the field on vehicle application from 2020 onwards.

1. Features and Production System of the Large-Capacity Lithium-Ion Batteries that Have Been Developed on this Occasion

(1) Battery system features

(2) Production systems

Configuration of the production system progressed as a joint enterprise between Sekisui Chemical and ENAX (which was partially acquired in July 2015). Sekisui Chemical (Tsukuba office) acquired ISO9001 certification for the first time, which ENAX (Chubu office) had already acquired. Sekisui Chemical (Tsukuba office) is registered as a manufacturing plant with JET parts registration certification.

2. Social Development Background

Reflecting upon imminent global warming and other problems, and the energy situation, strengthening involvement in energy saving and creation has become an urgent task, and in particular, the use of reusable energies and the importance of using clean energy have risen.
Therein, we have rolled out onto the market various energy-creating devices (solar batteries, wind generators, etc.) at the same time as using storage battery systems, or electric cars and hybrid vehicles, etc. to use effective and clean reusable energy. Further, concomitant with freeing electric power, storage battery systems are an important device for the efficient and effective use of power, and in particular, faced with the end of the fixed price purchase period for reusable energy in 2019, demand for large capacity types is predicted to rise.

3. Strengthening Commercialization Systems

Using Sekisui Chemical's materials and processing technologies, and ENAX's battery production and battery system technologies has enables the launch of extremely compact, space-saving fixed installation and home storage battery systems.
Currently, our aim is to further accelerate the commercialization of large-capacity, film-type lithium-ion batteries as a startup business, and so "LB Project" (LBP), an organization under the direct control of the president, will be established in April targeting to nurture the business as a core of the Sekisui Chemical Group.

4. Future Business Development

For the future business development, Sekisui Chemical will start the cell production soon in order to provide the battery system products with house builders within FY2016 as the first step, with the close corporation with outside system manufactures.
In parallel, Sekisui will actively seek for the other market, especially for the vehicle application from 2020 onwards.