Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont has announced it is investing $20 million to construct a facility in Chesterfield County, Va., to manufacture its new DuPont™ Energain™ Separators, the first nanofiber-based polymeric separators for high-performance lithium ion batteries for hybrid and electric cars and other possible commercial applications. The company has begun construction on the early commercial-scale plant and expects to start up operations in the first quarter of 2011.

DuPont Energain battery separators are manufactured into a web using a proprietary spinning process that produces continuous 200- to 1,000-nanometer filaments. According to the company, the separators offer a 15- to 30-percent increase in power, extend battery life by up to 20 percent, and improve safety because they are stable in high temperatures. They also are highly saturable in electrolyte liquids. 

"This launch and our investment in a new production facility are important steps in our strategy to expand DuPont's role in energy storage," said Thomas G. Powell, president, DuPont Protection Technologies.

August 10, 2010