BASF enabling the transition to electromobility

Chemistry science is driving the advances in electric vehicle technology.

Tailor-made solutions from BASF play a key role in paving the way to improving performance in efficiency, reliability, costs and durability, as well as the sustainability of automotive battery technology. Automotive Industries (AI) connected with the team of BASF Automotive Solutions at the Battery Show Europe 2025, which was held in Stuttgart, Germany in June 2025.

Automotive Industries (AI) first spoke to Patrick Frey, Segment Manager Transportation – Auto E&E and eMobility – Marketing Engineering Plastics – Performance Materials Europe.

AI: How does the BASF foamed polyamide Ultramid® Expand set a new standard for lightweight and efficient battery solutions?
Frey: Ultramid® Expand is a breakthrough, particularly for cylindrical cell holders in immersion-cooled battery systems. It is a new chemical class with inherent chemical resistance of a typical polyamide system.

It can be used in harsh environments (oils, fluids, greases), ensuring the integrity and functionality of battery cell holders over time. Unlike traditional foams, Ultramid® Expand combines low density with high performance.

AI: What need is met by your Engineering Plastics Flame Retardant Product Portfolio?

Frey: The portfolio aims to improve safety, performance, and sustainability in electrical systems through a range of innovative features. A concrete example is Ultramid® A3U44 G6 DC Orange, which retains its orange color when heated.

Typically, polyamide tends to darken to brown color when subjected to thermal aging. Ultramid® A3U44 G6 DC Orange is primarily utilized in high-voltage components, where visibility is critical for safety, especially in the event of an accident.

Moving on to connectivity, AI asked Dr. Dirk Wulff, Global Technical Battery Manager – Industrial Solutions: Dispersions & Resins, how Licity® binders improve charge capacity for Lithium-ion batteries.

Wulff:   Silicon-dominant anodes push the boundaries of battery technology by providing higher energy densities and faster charging at lower cost. Using Licity ^® binders together with state-of-the-art Si/C technology overcomes the historic hurdles of silicon-dominant anodes by providing excellent durability.

Selecting a binder system compatible with silicon, such as BASF’s Licity® 2698 X F, ensures optimal lifetime and performance in the most challenging conditions.

Dr. Michael Koch, Regional Marketing & Product Manager Polyisobutenes, Business Management EMEA – Fuel and Lubricant Solutions, elaborated on the opportunities arising from OPPANOL®, a versatile BASF polyisobutene.

Koch: Using OPPANOL® as a cathode binder significantly reduces the risk of electrochemical disturbances. Its chemical inertness ensures that it does not react with the electrolyte or other battery components.

This prevents the formation of unwanted by-products or harmful reactions that could affect performance. Additionally, high-molecular-weight OPPANOL® exhibits superior elasticity and elongation.

Using OPPANOL® as a cathode binder results in more efficient and longer-lasting batteries designed specifically for modern automotive applications. It accommodates mechanical expansion and contraction during battery operation, thereby reducing the risk of physical damage or premature failure.

Digital solutions that facilitate a more circular and transparent battery supply chain are becoming increasingly important.  Uwe Wolf, Managing Director, CBO at Data Space Solutions, was asked how the Path.Era digital passport ecosystem contributed to sustainability.

Wolf: Path.Era was developed through a collaboration of industry leaders, including Siemens, BMW Group, BASF and Henkel, to address the need for transparency and to help companies meet upcoming EU regulations requiring battery passports.

It simplifies the creation and management of digital records for EV batteries by documenting their entire lifecycle, from manufacturing to end-of-life management.

This facilitates the circular economy processes underlying the Battery Passport data model. You will find out more on the Cofinity-X marketplace at www.cofinity-x.com/apps and at www.pathera.com.

EU regulations regarding circularity is also a key discussion point for the aspect of battery recycling: AI asked Philipp Wenz, Head of Key Account Management BASF Battery Recycling to share some of the challenges facing the industry.

Wenz: The upcoming European battery regulations will mandate that metals used in batteries be recycled for new production. We began preparing for these processes and adjusting our technology over eight years ago.

Today, we provide recycling solutions that help our customers comply with EU regulations. For instance, we offer recycling capabilities through the recent launch of our black mass production plant in Schwarzheide, Germany.

Black mass, produced through mechanical treatment, contains high amounts of key metals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which can be chemically recovered to produce new cathode active materials (CAM).

This process enhances circularity and reduces carbon footprints compared to using only primary raw materials.

BASF’s offer covers the entire battery recycling value chain including the collection of end-of-life batteries and battery production scrap, discharging and dismantling of end-of-life batteries, black mass production, and metal refining, supported by a strong partner network.

Moreover, in Schwarzheide, BASF also operates Europe’s first fully automated large-scale CAM plant and a prototype metal refinery for battery recycling, alongside one of Europe’s largest black mass storage facilities.

Together, these elements allow us to manage critical steps in the battery value chain and support the goals of the new EU battery regulation. Moreover, BASF is proactively collaborating with key industry players such as OEMs, cell producers and recycling partners to find solutions for new and upcoming challenges.

AI: What are the risks in managing black mass production in Europe?

Wenz: Black mass primarily consists of mixed metal oxides from the cathode and graphite from the anode of lithium-ion batteries, containing key metals like nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium.

It is produced after batteries are discharged and dismantled through shredding, drying, and sorting. Challenges include the safe handling of spent batteries, which pose fire risks, and avoiding contact with toxic components of black mass.

BASF has implemented strict safety standards and built a strong partner network for the safe handling, transportation, and recycling of old electric vehicle (EV) batteries. BASF has also developed packaging solutions for safe transport of end-of-life batteries. Producing black mass with high yield and purity is crucial, and BASF’s on-site technology team continuously optimizes this process.

AI: Are there any plans for going into markets other than Europe?
Wenz: In close cooperation with our customers and partner networks, BASF offers and further develops recycling solutions in all major regions, including North America and Asia. For example, in North America, we have established a partner network for battery recycling and are already providing recycling services to our customers.

AI: What are the next steps?
Wenz: Battery recycling is a key factor in increasing independence from virgin raw material sources, reducing the carbon footprint of electric vehicles and meeting the ambitious requirements of the circular economy policies.

The growth of the battery recycling market is primarily driven by the increasing demand for the disposal of spent batteries and production waste. Given the current market developments in electromobility and the expected lifespan of electric vehicles of 10 to 13 years, a significant number of spent batteries will not be available before the end of the 2020s. BASF plans to grow its recycling business aligned with this market development.

AI then asked Dr. Anna Maria Cristadoro, Senior Principal Scientist PU Compact Materials to tell us about the main challenges when it comes to disassembly.

Cristadoro: We do not want to compromise between the need to guarantee that a component can be disassembled at the end of its lifetime, while ensuring that the material lasts for the duration.

AI: What is the BASF approach?

Cristadoro: Our approach is the introduction of an extra layer, which responds to temperature.

When you push the temperature higher than the operating range of the battery for a very short time you will be able to cleanly detach the material. This is important because you want to guarantee that you can reuse the element that you separate.

So, the technology is both for repair and end of life. This is important because there is no need to scrap the whole battery if something goes wrong during assembly.

The aluminum cooling plates are among the components which can be reused.

AI: How do you select the right trigger?

Cristadoro: One needs to evaluate what is possible at an industrial scale, without damaging components or posing a health risk to the operators. We believe a thermal trigger best meets these requirements.

BASF is working on chemical, magnetic, and electrical triggers as well.

AI: What are the implications for vehicle design?

Cristadoro: For us, the temperature trigger provides the greatest versatility.

We have chosen a concept which is very versatile. Assemblers can apply the debondable layer on only selected battery components.

We work with the existing materials and systems used by our customers. The same process works for both cylindrical and prismatic cells.

Looking ahead, AI asked Alex Heusener, Global Automotive Communications for the BASF Group and Global Sustainability Communications for BASF’s Coatings division, what is next for the company. 

Heusener: Our focus continues to be on advancing the development of next-generation solutions that enhance performance and efficiency as well as safety.

We are also actively working towards closing material loops and where our solutions not only power electric vehicles but also integrate seamlessly into a circular economy through effective recycling and resource recovery.

Ultimately, we see ourselves as key enablers in the transition to electromobility, partnering with industry leaders to shape a sustainable future for transportation and energy storage. This vision aligns with our commitment to innovation, collaboration and creating chemistry for a sustainable future.

To find out more visit: www.basf.com/automotive.