Entek, Bruckner Group sign production deal for lithium-ion battery separators

Entek and Bruckner USA management celebrating the signing. Photo Credit: Entek Manufacturing Inc.

Extruder maker and battery technology supplier Entek Manufacturing Inc. has signed an agreement with Bruckner Group USA to produce 18 battery separator film production lines.

These lines will expand production capacity of the batteries for Entek, in addition to an earlier announced 1.4 billion-square-meters-per-year Entek project that was selected for a US$200 million Department of Energy grant award.

Lebanon, Oregon-based Entek is said to be the only U.S.-owned and U.S.-based producer of ‘wet-process’ lithium-ion battery separator materials – used in electric vehicle (EV) production – and the deal with Bruckner Group is part of a push by Entek to increase its footprint in the lithium battery sector for EVs.

“[We] will create jobs producing lithium battery components, using the most advanced technologies, and meeting the cleanest environmental standards in the world,” Entek CTO Rick Pekala said. “Bruckner’s newest generation biaxial stretching film equipment together with [our] material science, coating, recycling, and separator production expertise fulfils this mission.”

“These battery separator lines will run in new U.S.-based Entek plants and will support the production of lithium-ion batteries, to support the growing U.S. EV and energy storage demand,” Entek officials said.

Separator film is used in a lithium-ion battery, and placed between the cathode and anode, to help to prevent short-circuiting and stop thermal runaways with its special thermal shutdown properties, all while still facilitating the flow of charged ions.