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BASF’s cathode active materials product family is well-suited to the evolving requirements of batteries in automotive drivetrains. Its high degree of purity and excellent product characteristics are bolstered by BASF’s proven ability to jointly develop products with customers.
BASF’s HED™ portfolio of application-specific cathode active materials (CAM) supports lithium-ion batteries for electrified vehicles with high energy density, reliability and performance.
Meanwhile, BASF has a worldwide license to produce and market lithium-ion battery materials from Argonne National laboratories (ANL)—the global leader in Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) technology.
In April 2021, BASF and Umicore had entered into a non-exclusive patent cross-license agreement covering a broad range of cathode active materials (CAM) and their precursors (PCAM), including chemistries such as nickel cobalt manganese (NCM), nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA), nickel cobalt manganese aluminum (NCMA) and lithium rich, high manganese high energy NCM (HE NCM). The agreement covers more than 100 patent families filed in Europe, US, China, Korea and Japan.
Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA)
NCA cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries have been commercially available for almost 20 years. BASF’s portfolio of advanced HED™ NCA products includes various grades (from 80mol% to >90mol% nickel), enabling high energy capacity and high energy density as well as improved chemical stability to match the requirements of batteries in automotive drivetrains. Leading manufacturers of electric vehicles have demonstrated successes with batteries using BASF’s NCA products.

Among BASF’s NCA product portfolio, high nickel NCA products are already a reality in automotive batteries today. BASF launched >90mol% nickel NCA grade in close collaboration with a leading battery maker. BASF’s e-mobility innovation roadmap calls for even higher nickel content with multi-element doping and coating technologies as well as process innovation to achieve even better battery performance and lower cost ($/kwh).
In 2017, BASF successfully tripled its NCA production capacity in Japan to meet increasing customer demands. BASF continues to expand its global NCA production and R&D footprint in collaboration with partners. As a market leader for NCA, BASF is prepared to embrace the trend toward high nickel CAM and meet the needs of the fast-growing global e-mobility market.
Nickel Cobalt Manganese Oxide (NCM)
BASF's portfolio of advanced HED™ NCM products for lithium-ion batteries includes various nickel compositions, ranging from the traditional NCM 111 mixture to nickel-rich content products, such as NCM 721 and NCM 811. They all include a variety of coating and doping options that can best meet customer application requirements for enhanced safety, prolonged life cycle, high energy capacity and density, as well as improved chemical stability.
To meet the fast-growing demand of cathode active materials driven by e-mobility, BASF has established a global cathode active materials R&D and production network, with existing NCM manufacturing assets in Japan, the U.S. and Europe which are under construction now.

Our R&D roadmap calls for continuous improvement in the development of high nickel CAM with outstanding $/kwh performance: >80mol% nickel materials with complex doping and coating strategies that can deliver high-capacity, long-life-cycle material for safe use in automotive applications. Moreover, BASF is working closely with OEMs and cell manufacturers on many innovative and tailor-made NCM products for automotive applications.
As a pioneer and market leader in cathode active materials, BASF is prepared for the growing global e-mobility demand for nickel-rich cathode active materials.
Beyond the HED™ NCM family, BASF is one of the licensed suppliers of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory for patented NCM cathode active materials, which employs a unique combination of lithium and manganese-rich mixed metal oxides. The license covers the broadest scope of NCM chemistry, which can be used in today's lithium-ion batteries.
BASF and the Argonne National Laboratory in 2010 received a "Deals of Distinction™" Award for this worldwide agreement. The award, granted by the Licensing Executives Society (USA and Canada), Inc., acknowledged this agreement's significant potential to improve the environment and provide economic growth.