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TOKYO, April 5, 2006 _ Ube Industries, Ltd. today announced that it has successfully
developed a new energy storage source that enables capacitor-like
rapid charging and discharging with high voltage, large
capacity performance.
The electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles
(HEV) of the future demand a power source that satisfies
a variety of characteristics. In addition to holding a
high voltage, the power source must have a high energy
density for long-lasting performance under a single charge.
Rapid charging and discharging as well as safety are also
important characteristics.
Lithium-ion batteries are leading candidates for use
as energy storage sources in these applications. Conventional
lithium-ion batteries use a compound with layers of materials
such as cobalt or nickel as a positive electrode, combined
with graphite as a negative electrode. Although lithium-ion
batteries hold a high voltage and have high energy density,
rapid charging and discharging is a problem.
Meanwhile, electric double layer capacitors use a special
activated carbon for the positive and negative electrode,
which enables rapid charging and discharging. However,
the technology is not without its drawbacks. The capacitors
hold less than 3 volts and have an energy density that
is only 1/100th that of lithium-ion batteries.
Significant research has been conducted in recent years
in an attempt to overcome the drawbacks of each technology.
This includes research into lithium-ion capacitors that
combine the features of lithium-ion batteries and electric
double layer capacitors.
The new energy storage source developed by Ube Industries,
a dominant market leader in electrolytes for lithium-ion
batteries, employs different carbon materials for the
positive and negative electrode. It also uses a non-lithium
electrolyte, which was developed in an application of
one of Ube Industries' specialty electrolytes. These features
result in capacitor-like rapid charging and discharging,
as well as improved safety. In addition, the new energy
storage source delivers more than 10 times the energy
density of a capacitor while holding 3.2 volts, despite
using a non-lithium electrolyte.
The company has built a compact electric vehicle prototype
that is entirely powered using the new energy storage
source. The prototype vehicle provides evidence of the
practical usefulness of the technology and will help the
company to implement further improvements aimed at future
commercialization. The prototype vehicle has already been
tested in city driving.
Ube Industries is positioning the battery materials business
as a priority business segment. The company is rapidly
expanded its business of supplying separators and electrolytes
for lithium-ion batteries, the market for which has grown
significantly due to their use in meeting the power supply
requirements of today' society of pervasive computing.
Ube Industries created the market for specialty electrolytes
and is a leader in high-end electrolytes. In the separator
market, the company has focused on expanding into overseas
markets by capitalizing on the cost competitiveness of
its products. At the same time, the company has developed
grades of separator products that are specifically designed
for EV and HEV applications. These products have become
the leading choice among numerous manufacturers engaged
in full-scale production. Ube Industries also carries
out development in the battery and peripheral materials
segment. The new energy storage source represents just
one of its development successes in this field.
The battery materials segment currently generates annual
sales of approximately 10 billion yen for Ube Industries.
The company hopes to increase sales to beyond 20 billion
yen by 2010. To achieve this goal, the company will increase
sales of its existing electrolyte and separator products.
It will also continue expanding into the battery and peripheral
materials segment as marked by the successful development
of the new electric storage source.
The new electric storage source is representative of
Ube Industries' ongoing strategy to use new technologies
and concepts to supply materials that create or identify
new markets.
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New energy storage source
and compact electric vehicle (EV) prototype equipped
with new energy storage source |
For inquiries please contact:
Ube Industries, Ltd.
Investor Relations & Public Relations Dept.
Corporate Planning & Administration Office
Seavance North Building, 1-2-1 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8449
Phone : +81(3)5419-6110
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