UK-based researcher Smithers forecasts that the burgeoning, nonwoven battery-separator market will grow at a 12.5% CAGR to reach 280,000 tonnes in 2030. This overall global market will be valued at US$4 billion five years hence.

In 2025, nonwovens used in battery separators globally will account for 155,600 tonnes, valued at $1.7 billion, the new Smithers report says.

A battery separator is a thin, porous material which acts as a barrier between the anode and cathode. The battery separator maintains the uniformity of electrolytes within the electrolyte solution; it allows ion flow freely between the anode and cathode, and prevents electrons from flowing through, forcing them to follow a designed pathway around the separator, and provides mechanical stability to the entire battery structure.

High growth rates in value represent a move toward more complex, higher performance battery separators used in newer battery types. Lithium-ion battery separators compete primarily with high priced extruded polymer films while most other battery types split usage among low cost paper and conventional nonwovens. As demand increases for lithium-ion batteries, so too will nonwoven penetration in lithium-ion battery separators, and value will grow.