Fibrothal® heating modules from Kanthal, an Alleima company, achieve the temperature accuracy necessary for many furnace system applications. The heating module has become a game-changer in the treatment of materials for the booming lithium-ion battery industry.
The global lithium-ion battery market is expected to reach an estimated USD 182.53 billion by 2030, according to Bloomberg (June 2022), citing a report by Grand View Research.* Demand is largely driven by the increasing consumption of rechargeable batteries in consumer electronics, the rise in electric vehicles and industrial applications.
Up to the temperature challenge Leading furnace manufacturer OneJoon GmbH has been a Kanthal, an Alleima company, customer for 50 years and the two have worked together to develop many heating systems for new furnace applications.
For the past 15 years, Kanthal has also been working with parent company, OneJoon Co. Ltd. Headquartered in South Korea, it supplies a variety of kilns and furnaces, including high-temperature furnace systems used in the calcination of cathode and anode material for lithium-ion batteries.
Many of its customers are in the electronic devices and parts industry.
OneJoon uses Kanthal’s Fibrothal® heating modules to achieve the temperature accuracy needed for its large-scale furnaces. Fibrothal® heating modules contain embedded heating elements and vacuum-formed ceramic fiber insulation for temperatures up to 1,350 degrees Celsius.
The production of cathode material requires temperatures of around 800- 1,000 degrees Celsius in the calcination process. The manufacturing process must also be designed and controlled to ensure exceptionally high purity levels in the cathode materials.
The challenge for furnace operators is to maximize energy efficiency and productivity while ensuring a consistent, high-quality cathode material. Tailored to customer applications Fibrothal® heating modules are able to control temperatures precisely in cathode material production.
They are quick to install, and the modular design makes it easy to tailor to specific customer requirements. Fibrothal® heating modules can also provide major energy savings. When it comes to the battery business, OneJoon believes that Kanthal Fibrothal® is a game-changer for achieving the temperature accuracy it needs in large-scale furnaces.