Chemetall and Londian Wason commit to strategic partnership for implementing new Gardolene® D chromium-free and fluoride-free passivation technology for copper foils
- Londian Wason is the first customer in China to apply Chemetall’s pioneering solution in the market
- The partnership demonstrates the commitment to creating value for customers by providing innovative and more sustainable solutions
Chemetall, a leading provider of innovative surface treatment solutions and the global surface treatment business unit of BASF Coatings, has signed a strategic partnership with Londian Wason (Shenzhen) Holdings Group Co., Ltd. (Londian Wason), a global leader in the new energy and electronic materials sector and one of the largest producers of lithium battery copper foil.
The agreement will enable the two companies to collaborate on the innovation and application of Chemetall's newly launched Gardolene D chromium-free and fluoride-free passivation technology for copper foils. This collaboration marks a milestone for Chemetall in supporting the green transformation, driven by the rapid growth of electric vehicles and the expanding demand for innovative energy generation and storage solutions – particularly in China and the Asia-Pacific region.
“Londian Wason is the first customer in China to use our new Gardolene D technology, proving our leading position in the surface treatment industry. This innovation is a key enabler for the green transformation, enhancing the performance of electric vehicles and energy storage systems. More importantly, it will empower our partner Londian Wason to achieve their sustainability goals and improve the performance of their solutions,” says Frank Naber, Senior Vice President Global Surface Treatment at BASF Coatings.
“We combine Chemetall’s global innovative surface treatment technology with London Wason’s 20 years of proven technical expertise in copper foil manufacturing. By building on our strengths, we drive breakthrough technology and sustainability to shape the future of the industry,” says Guangling Zhou, CEO of Londian Wason Group.
“China is the world's largest market for electric vehicles and the dominant global force in battery production. We are glad to partner with Londian Wason to enhance our regional footprint and accelerate market adoption to meet the evolving demands. Chemetall is committed to creating value for customers by providing innovative and more sustainable surface treatment solutions in growth markets like China and others in Asia Pacific,” says Evelyn Shen, Vice President, Chemetall Asia Pacific.
Gardolene D is the first global chromium-free and fluoride-free passivation technology for copper foils. This pioneering solution is unique in the industry and offers superior corrosion protection as well as improved performance of copper foils used in electric vehicle battery packs, energy generation and storage systems. It improves the surface energy, which enables better adhesion of anode active materials and reduces electrical resistivity, resulting in higher battery efficiency. Batteries treated with Gardolene D benefit from extended lifespans and better capacity retention, extending lifetime by up to 6 percent after 1,000 cycles at 25 degrees Celsius – a significant performance increase compared to batteries using copper foil pretreated with traditional chromium (VI) passivation methods.
The new solution is compatible with existing equipment and suitable for both electro-deposited and rolled annealed copper foil substrates used in the production of batteries for electric vehicles and a wide range of other energy generation and storage applications.
More information about Gardolene D:
https://www.basf-coatings.com/global/en/media/Press-Releases/2025/p-25-Coat01
About BASF Coatings
BASF Coatings is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. We create advanced performance solutions and drive performance, design and new applications to meet our partners’ needs all over the world. We share skills, knowledge and resources of interdisciplinary and global teams for the benefit of customers by operating a collaborative network of sites in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. In 2024, our businesses achieved global sales of about €3.8 billion.
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About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
