News reported on Jun 27, 2017, recently, Japan Morita Chemical stated that, the company plans to increase LiPF6 capacity of its Chinese factory to 7500t/a by the year 2018, growth reaches 50%. Besides, Morita Chemical also plans to new build a LiPF6 factory in Taixing, Jiangsu.
Morita New Energy Materials (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd. locates in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu. It was invested by Morita Chemical Industries, Sumitomo Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation (China) Co. Ltd. and set up in 2004. Its current LiPF6 capacity is 3000t/a.
Lithium ion battery electrolyte (or LIB electrolyte, electrolyte) is mainly composited of electrolyte lithium salts, solvents and additives. ASIACHEM data shows that, in 2016, China LIB electrolyte output was about 71kt, corresponding consumed about 8.8kt LiPF6. ASIACHEM estimates that, China LIB output in 2017 will be about 79.3GWh, electrolyte output will be about 81kt, LiPF6 consumption will be about 10kt.
Before 2004, Japan Rising, Morita Chemical and Kanto Denka monopolized global LiPF6 industry. At that time, price of LiPF6 was more than CNY 600k/t. Since 2011, many enterprises in China, represented by Do-Fluoride, successfully broke through production technology of LiPF6 and entered supply chains of China electrolyte enterprises and impelled price of LiPF6 gradually went down. In 2012, price of LiPF6 was CNY 250k/t. After 2013, LiPF6 was overcapacity. Its price reached CNY 84k/t, the lowest point, in Q2, 2015.
After that, benefitted from China new energy vehicle both production and marketing thrived, prices of materials (except separators) relevant to power battery went up. LiPF6, as raw material of electrolyte, its price started to rise sharply since H2, 2015 and its price increased to CNY 400k/t in only several months’ time. At the end of 2016 to the beginning of 2017, with LiPF6 capacity’s gradually release, price of which decreased to around CNY 300k/a.
ASIACHEM database shows that, in 2016, China LiPF6 capacity was 20.6kt/a; in 2017, China LiPF6 capacity will increase 14kt/a, to 34.6kt/a.
Attachment: China LiPF6 Capacity Table（by end of 2017）
