This recognition underscores Arkema’s long-standing commitment to innovation and sustainability in the e-mobility sector.
Arkema
is proud to announce that a team of its scientists and engineers has been honoured with the prestigious Heroes of Chemistry Award by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for their groundbreaking work on Kynar® HSV 900 PVDF, manufactured without the use of fluorosurfactant for battery applications.
Ramin Amin-Sanayei, Medhi Durali, Steve Erhardt, Carl Stewart, Barry Oakley, Lining (Michael) Zhu, and Sun Jia-Yue were recognised for their contributions to the development of the Kynar® HSV 900 PVDF material, first introduced in 2005. In an effort to move away from fluorinated surfactants, the team pioneered the development of commercially viable PVDF binders produced without fluorosurfactant, while maintaining the critical material properties required for high battery performance.
“We are honoured by this recognition from the ACS, which reflects the dedication and expertise of our teams. This award reinforces our mission to deliver high-performance materials that support the transition to a cleaner energy,” has stated David Silagy, Vice-President R&D High Performance Polymers & Fluorospecialties for Arkema.
Kynar® HSV 900 PVDF has demonstrated exceptional versatility, gaining widespread commercial adoption alongside a broad range of cathode active materials, particularly lithium iron phosphate (LFP), and has since become a benchmark in the battery industry. To date, Kynar® HSV 900 PVDF has already enabled the production of batteries powering over 10 million electric vehicles.
The development of advanced materials for efficient, long-lasting batteries for electric vehicles is crucial to mitigating the impacts of climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of transport. Kynar® HSV 900 plays a vital role in improving the performance, safety, and longevity of lithium-ion batteries, key components in EVs and energy systems.
The adoption of Kynar® HSV 900 highlights the critical role it has played in supporting the rise of LFP technology, an increasingly preferred choice for EV batteries due to its safety, cost-efficiency, and long cycle life. In 2024, the rapid growth of LFP-powered electric vehicles continued, with over 850 GWh of batteries produced.