Celgard

What Celgard does

Celgard is a US-based industrial materials company specializing in the development and manufacture of high-performance microporous membranes, used primarily as battery separators in lithium-ion, lithium primary, and specialty batteries. Its origins trace to microporous film research at Celanese Research Labs in Summit, New Jersey in the mid-1960s; following the 2015 acquisition by Asahi Kasei Corporation, Celgard now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Asahi Kasei Group. Its differentiated manufacturing technology is a proprietary solvent-free dry-stretch process — extrusion, lamination, annealing, stretching, and slitting — that produces thermally, chemically, and dimensionally stable membranes and provides a lower carbon footprint than wet-process alternatives. The product portfolio centers on monolayer polypropylene (PP) base films, trilayer PP/PE/PP films providing thermal shutdown capability, and functional coatings including ceramic-coated separators (CCS, for which Celgard holds the dominant foundational patent), adhesive coatings, and surfactant coatings. More recent innovations include CoolStack low-temperature adhesion separators, DuraWet enhanced wettability separators, and the RespiGard waterproof-breathable membrane sub-brand for technical textiles.

The company manufactures in Charlotte, North Carolina; Concord, North Carolina; Shanghai, China; and Gaoan City, Jiangxi, China (via the ENPO joint venture with SEMCORP). Sales and technical service teams operate across Asia, North America, and EMEA, supplemented by authorized distribution partners in China, Japan, India, and Korea. Celgard's business model is B2B hardware sales of separator membranes to cell manufacturers and gigafactory operators, with end-use applications spanning electric drive vehicles (BEV/HEV/PHEV/buses/fleet), energy storage systems (utility-scale and behind-the-meter), specialty batteries (military, medical, aerospace), and technical textiles. Multiple IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 certifications across Charlotte, Concord, and Shanghai facilities signal compliance with automotive and quality management standards required by large downstream cell makers.

Recent commercial activity is offensive, positioning Celgard in next-generation chemistries and gigafactory supply chains: strategic alliances with American Battery Factory (LFP), Æsir Technologies (Ni-Zn, Zn-Air, Li-Zn, Na-Zn), Lithion Battery (LFP), C4V (BM-LMP cathodes), and Morrow Batteries (LNMO) pair with manufacturing capacity additions (Charlotte HIPORE wet-process coating lines due online in 2026 and new Concord coating capabilities launched in May 2026). Celgard is also actively defending its dominant CCS patent estate through litigation that has produced favorable settlements against multiple infringers in the US and UK.

Name

Celgard

Legal name

Celgard LLC

Website

https://celgard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Celgard is a US-based subsidiary of the Asahi Kasei Group and a global leader in dry-process microporous membrane battery separators, supplying monolayer and trilayer polyolefin films plus ceramic, adhesive, and surfactant coatings to lithium-ion, specialty battery, and technical-textile manufacturers across North America, Asia, and EMEA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Battery Separators / Microporous Membrane Components

NAICS

Unlaminated Plastics Film and Sheet (except Packaging) Manufacturing (326113)

SIC

Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)

akta.pro primary industry

Separators & Membranes Manufacturing (EUAFABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

High-Performance & Specialty Polymers (PPS, LCP, PI/PAI, PAEK) (IMAEANAI)

Keywords

• Battery separator membranes
• Microporous polyolefin films
• Lithium-ion battery components
• Ceramic coated separators
• Waterproof breathable membranes

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Battery Separator Products: Celgard generates revenue through the sale of high-performance microporous membrane products for lithium-ion batteries, lithium primary batteries, and specialty battery applications. Products include base films (monolayer PP, trilayer PP/PE/PP), functional coatings (ceramic, adhesive, surfactant), and specialty membranes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Celgard designs and manufactures high-performance microporous polyolefin membrane separators used primarily in lithium-ion batteries, lithium primary batteries, and select specialty battery solutions. The company produces monolayer PP and trilayer PP/PE/PP base films via its proprietary dry-stretch process, along with functional coatings (ceramic, adhesive, and surfactant), and also supplies RespiGard waterproof breathable membranes for technical textiles.

Product overview

Celgard is a global leader in the development and production of high-performance microporous membrane technology for lithium-ion batteries, specialty batteries, and technical textiles. The company's product portfolio centers on its core battery separator offerings, which include monolayer polypropylene (PP) membranes, trilayer PP/PE/PP membranes, and co-extruded films manufactured using a proprietary dry-stretch process. These base film products form the foundation of the offering and are complemented by functional coating add-ons including Ceramic Coated Separators (CCS), Adhesive Coated Separators, and Surfactant Coated Separators. Recent innovations include CoolStack™ low temperature adhesion separators and DuraWet™ enhanced wettability separators. For technical textiles, the RespiGard® sub-brand provides waterproof breathable membranes for outdoor apparel. The company also operates manufacturing facilities in the USA and China with comprehensive quality certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CoolStack: Separators for low temperature adhesion featuring innovative adhesive coating formulation enabling high-speed cell assembly processes with energy savings.
• DuraWet
• RespiGard

Products and services

• Celgard Monolayer PP Base Films Chemically and dimensionally stable monolayer polypropylene microporous membranes available in thicknesses from 5 to 25 microns, used as the primary separator for primary lithium batteries and as a separator in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
• Celgard Trilayer PP/PE/PP Base Films Proprietary trilayer film combining PP outer layers (high melt temperature, oxidation resistance) with a PE inner layer (low melt temperature, thermal shutdown fuse), available in thicknesses from 14 to 39 microns for lithium-ion batteries.
• Celgard Co-extruded Films Cost-effective microporous membranes available as monolayer PP or trilayer PP/PE/PP designs with layer-by-layer design flexibility, in thicknesses from 10 to 18 microns.
• Celgard Ceramic Coated Separators (CCS) Heat resistant ceramic coatings on microporous membranes providing enhanced short circuit prevention and excellent structural integrity at high temperatures, available in thicknesses from 12 to 24 microns for lithium-ion cells.
• Celgard Adhesive Coated Separators Proprietary thin adhesive coatings that enhance wettability and provide strong adhesion to electrodes, supporting increased production lamination speeds in cell manufacturing.
• Celgard Surfactant Coated Separators Hydrophilic surfactant coated membranes suited for specialty batteries operating with aqueous electrolytes, providing rapid wetting and enhanced rate capability.
• Celgard CoolStack Separators Adhesive coated separator with strong adhesion to electrodes at temperatures below 60°C, enabling high-speed, low energy stack/z-fold and press cell assembly processes with longer battery life and lower cell electrical resistance.
• Celgard DuraWet Separators Enhanced wettability separators that improve electrolyte filling and soaking speeds, enhance long-term electrolyte retention, and decrease cell scrap versus other polyolefin membranes.
• RespiGard Waterproof/Breathable Membranes Hydrophobic, lightweight, earth-friendly waterproof breathable membranes for technical textiles, including outdoor apparel and medical PPE, leveraging Celgard's patented dry-stretch process for high moisture vapor transfer.
• HIPORE Wet-Process Separator Coating and Finishing Capability (Charlotte) New wet-process separator coating and finishing capacity at the Charlotte, NC facility to meet growing lithium-ion battery separator demand for electric vehicles, complementing existing dry-process lines at the same site.
• Concord Facility New Coating Capabilities (Functional Coatings & Multilayer Coated Separators) Expanded functional coating and multilayer coated separator manufacturing capability at the Concord, NC facility, delivering customer-driven innovations for EV, ESS, and next-generation battery cells.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dry-process manufacturing reduces energy consumption and has lower carbon footprint compared to wet-process alternatives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Æsir TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Strategic alliance with Æsir Technologies for next-generation Nickel-Zinc (Ni-Zn), Zinc-Air (Zn-Air), Lithium-Zinc (Li-Zn) and Sodium-Zinc (Na-Zn) batteries. Companies are collaborating on joint research projects for high-technology battery applications used primarily in aviation, data centers, telecom, energy infrastructure and EV charging.
• Lithion BatterycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Strategic alliance with Lithion Battery for next-generation lithium-ion cells with Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cathode material. Joint development of battery separators for energy storage systems including micro-grid power applications, medical tools, and military and industrial markets.
• C4VcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023Exclusive strategic alliance with C4V for development of separator solutions for lithium-ion battery market optimized for C4V's high-voltage bio-mineralized lithium mixed metal phosphate (BM-LMP) cathode material. Aimed at giga-factory scale production.
• Morrow BatteriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Multi-year exclusive joint development agreement with Morrow Batteries for high-voltage battery separator technology using lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO) cathode material. Separators will be used in Morrow's battery cells for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) applications at European gigafactory.
• American Battery Factory (ABF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Celgard entered into a strategic alliance agreement with American Battery Factory for LFP battery separator technology. Companies are undertaking joint research projects to commercialize state-of-the-art next generation products for reliable high-technology prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the U.S. ABF is building an Arizona LFP gigafactory with 5.5GWh initial output targeting late 2027 production.
• SEMCORP / Shanghai Energy New MaterialscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Joint venture between Polypore and SEMCORP established as Jiangxi Enpo New Materials Co., Ltd. (ENPO) in Gaoan City, Jiangxi Province, China. Regulatory approvals completed and JV established to support local EDV and ESS markets.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sumitomo Chemical: Sumitomo Chemical is a Japanese diversified chemical company that has developed and supplied polyolefin-based separator materials for lithium-ion batteries. As a broader chemical conglomerate with separator R&D, it represents an incumbent peer with technology overlap in polyolefin membrane manufacturing.
• Asahi Kasei (Hipore Separators): Asahi Kasei is Celgard's parent company and produces its own Hipore-brand wet-process separators in Japan. Celgard is adding Hipore wet-process coating lines to its Charlotte facility in 2026, leveraging Asahi Kasei's technology. They share R&D and compete in adjacent wet-process markets.
• Mitsubishi Chemical (MCPP / Trexel): Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers (formerly Trexel) produces polymer materials for various applications. While not exclusively a battery separator maker, Mitsubishi Chemical Group develops and supplies specialty membrane materials that overlap with Celgard's technical textile and specialty barrier applications.

Direct peers

• W-Scope Corporation: W-Scope is a Japanese-Korean battery separator manufacturer specializing in wet-process polyethylene separators. Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, it serves Asian cell manufacturers and competes with Celgard in lithium-ion battery separator markets, particularly in EV and ESS applications.
• Senior Technology (Shenzhen Senior Technology Material): Senior is a major Chinese battery separator manufacturer specializing in wet-process PE separators. Celgard filed and won multiple patent infringement lawsuits against Senior, settling global litigations on confidential terms. Senior serves the same lithium-ion battery customer base across EV and ESS segments.
• UBE Corporation: UBE Corporation is a Japanese chemical manufacturer producing polyolefin separators for lithium-ion batteries. UBE competes with Celgard in dry-process separator technology and supplies major Asian cell makers, offering comparable monolayer and multilayer PP/PE separator products.
• SK Innovation (SK ieT Technology): SK ieT is the Korean leader in battery separator manufacturing (formerly SK Innovation's separator business, spun off). Produces both wet and dry-process separators for major Korean cell makers (LG, Samsung SDI) and global OEMs, competing directly with Celgard in premium separator applications.
• SEMCORP (Shanghai Energy New Materials Technology): SEMCORP is the largest Chinese battery separator manufacturer and Celgard's most direct global competitor. Notably, SEMCORP is also Celgard's joint venture partner in Jiangxi Enpo New Materials (ENPO), making it both a partner and a direct competitor in wet and dry-process separator markets globally.
• Entek International: Entek is a US-based manufacturer of wet-process battery separators and a direct domestic competitor to Celgard. Entek supplies separators for energy storage and electric vehicle applications in North America, with significant capacity investments underway to serve the onshoring trend.

Others

• Targray Technology International: Targray is a Canadian battery materials distributor that has historically been both a Celgard distribution partner and a defendant in Celgard patent infringement litigation. As a value-added distributor of separators, cathode materials, and other battery components, Targray serves many of the same downstream customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/celgard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/celgard

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Celgard