June 3, 2025

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Tokyo

Japan

Toyocolor Co., Ltd., the colorants and functional materials division of the artience Group, received the “Award for 10 Consecutive Years of Zero Quality Defects” from Toyota Battery Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. The recognition underscores Toyocolor’s ability to prevent the introduction of harmful foreign matter in automotive battery materials, from both the raw materials selection stage on through to processing. Representatives of Toyocolor accepted the award at a supplier meeting hosted by Toyota Battery on April 22, 2025, in Japan.

Since 2015, Toyocolor had been supplying Toyota Battery with acetylene black dispersions as a conductive additive in lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). Subsequently, in September 2023, this supply was replaced by new carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions developed by Toyocolor. Foreign matter contamination during LiB fabrication can lead to short circuits. This in turn results in reduced battery performance and increased heat generation, potentially triggering ignition. Thus, high-output batteries that adopt CNT dispersions require even more rigorous quality controls against metal impurities.

“We are delighted to be recognized for manufacturing excellence by a world-class battery maker like Toyota Battery,” said Masaki Nagatsubo, Managing Director of Toyocolor. “At Toyocolor, we uphold three principles for contamination control - Zero Tolerance, Zero Occurrence and Zero Defect. We believe it is this mindset of striving for perfection that has allowed us to maintain a high level of foreign matter control. It starts with the quality control of raw materials and extends through all stages of processing, and filling and shipping.”

Building on this accolade, Toyocolor will continuously work to make further performance enhancements to its conductive CNT dispersions and their quality controls, with the aim of realizing a sustainable society through the spread of clean mobility.

 

About Toyota Battery

Toyota Battery Co., Ltd. is an automotive battery manufacturer that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota Battery aims to become the “Battery Company for the Future of Mobility” by taking on flexible and agile challenges. For more information, see https://www.toyota-battery.com/en/.

About Toyocolor

Toyocolor Co., Ltd. oversees the Colorants and Functional Materials business of the global chemical manufacturer artience Co., Ltd. With its strength in colorant design technology and dispersion technology, Toyocolor develops functional materials in various fields, including organic pigments, colorants for plastics, and functional dispersions such as conductive carbon nanotube dispersions for lithium-ion battery cathodes. For more information, see www.artiencegroup.com/en/group/toyocolor/.

For information on the parent company artience Co., Ltd. (formerly Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd.), see www.artiencegroup.com/en/.