Tonen to build battery parts plant

South Korea's Tonen Specialty Separator Korea, subsidiary of TonenGeneral Sekiyu, has broken ground for a new facility to manufacture battery separator films for the lithium-ion battery markets.

The company, which is an affiliate of Texas-based Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), said that battery market includes new hybrid and electric vehicle applications.

"The new battery separator film plant will allow us to better serve our customers, providing industry-leading technology and service," said Andrew Purdue, director of Tonen Specialty Separator Korea, in a statement.

"We are very pleased to be investing in South Korea and the city of Gumi. This investment will significantly enhance our capability to supply all of our customers in the fast-growing lithium-ion battery market."

The cost of the new plant was not disclosed.

Tonen said the facility will have the capacity to produce over 30 million square meters of film per year, with opportunity for future expansion.

The plant will use TonenGeneral's advanced polymer and process technologies, and a new technology platform from ExxonMobil Chemical, to produce the separator films. The plant is expected to start operations in 2009.

Exxon Mobil, which owns 50 percent of TonenGeneral, announced last year that Tonen had developed a new separator film for hybrid and electric vehicle batteries (see Exxon's Tonen now producing lithium ion separator film).

At the time, the companies said the new films are co-extruded using specially tailored, high heat resistant polymers for improved separator properties.

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