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BASF in battery recycling deal

Under a new deal, BASF is to produce cathode active materials (CAMs) from recycled metals from its site at Battle Creek, Michigan, for use in Li-ion battery cells produced by Nanotech Energy, a US specialist in graphene-based energy storage products.  The two will also partner with American Battery Technology (ABTC), a Li-ion battery recycling company in Nevada, and Toda Advanced Materials, an Ontario firm which produces CAM precursors (pCAMs) and metal hydroxide material, to establish a battery value chain for the North American consumer electronics and automotive industries.

ICL breaks ground on battery materials plant

ICL has held the groundbreaking ceremony for a $400 million, 13,000 m2, 30,000 tones/year battery materials manufacturing facility at its Carondolet site at St Louis, Missouri. Present at the event on 8 August were Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, whose department granted $197 million towards building the facility under the Investing in America agenda, and Missouri governor Mike Parson.

Feature article - Practical progress the theme of agrochemical conference

Gains in biologicals are helping to offset huge market share for generics. Gregory Morris reports from Savannah

It was all business at the Specialty & Agro Chemicals America conference on 19-22 June, in the new venue of Savannah, Georgia. Exhibitors said that there was “a high level of energy at the show,” and this extended to the programme presentations.

Posco breaks ground

Posco Holdings has held the groundbreaking ceremony for the first lithium hydroxide factory in South Korea, at the Yulchon Industrial Complex in South Jeolla province. The company will invest over $450 million up to completion in 2025. It will be able to produce about 25,000 tonnes/year, enough for some 600,000 electric vehicles.

Yulchon is already home to the Posco Future M subsidiary’s cathode material facility. A lithium ore plant is also being built there and it will eventually host a secondary battery material facility.

DIC acquires PCAS Canada

Japan’s DIC Corporation has acquired PCAS Canada from PCAS, a legacy subsidiary of Seqens, for an enterprise value of €82 million, and has renamed it Innovation DIC Chimitroniques. This follows agreement by both boards and the workers’ council.

PCAS Canada has a facility near Montreal producing photoresists for semiconductor photolithography, an area in which DIC expects substantial growth. DIC will combine these with its own syntheis technologies and will continue to invest in the site.

Allkem and Livent to merge

Global lithium chemicals companies Allkem and Livent have reached a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals valuing the combined company at $10.6 billion. The agreement is expected to close by the end of 2023. Allkem and Livent shareholders will hold about 56% and 44% respectively of the stock.

IMCD buys in Israel, Colombia

IMCD has acquired three companies in recent weeks, two in Israel and one in Colombia. Terms were not disclosed in any of the deals. The three are:

* The import and distribution business of Tagra Biotechnologies, an Israeli distributor and supplier of raw materials and ingredients for cosmetics and personal care

* KOI Products Solutions, an Israeli distributor of speciality products mainly for the composite, paint, cosmetics, coatings and ink markets

* Allianz Group International, a distributor of APIs in Colombia T

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