[SMM Separator Weekly Review] Supply-demand balance remains tight, coated products poised for price hikes

Published: Sep 10, 2026 18:50

Save

[SMM Analysis] Separator Market Prices Remain Stable Overall

Separator prices continued to consolidate this week, with quotation ranges for all specifications largely unchanged from last week. In terms of specific quotations, prices for high-end wet-process separator products remained firm: 5μm (5μ+2μ) was quoted at 1.57-1.87 yuan/m², mainstream quotations for 7μm (7μ+2μ) stood at 1.14-1.337 yuan/m², and 9μm (9μ+3μ) was quoted at 1.135-1.29 yuan/m². Prices are expected to edge up next week, mainly for 5μm+2μm coated and 7μm+2μm+3μm coated products. The upward momentum still stems from supply and demand. Data shows that separator production growth has remained below terminal production schedule growth, and the gap has not narrowed. On the demand side, there is also a structural shift: as capacity for large battery cells comes online, battery cell manufacturers are accelerating the transition from 7μm to 5μm. The 5μm specification places higher demands on production line yield and equipment, making effective supply even tighter than nominal capacity, and these products have the strongest pricing power. In our assessment, the price increase next week will most likely be led by 5μm+2μm, with 7μm+2μm+3μm following suit. The trend of switching to 5μm is unlikely to reverse in the short term, and the supply-demand tightness for high-end coated products will remain greater than that for base film, leaving further room for price increases.

SMM New Energy Industry Research Department

Wang Cong 021-51666838

Ma Rui 021-51595780

Feng Disheng 021-51666714

Lyu Yanlin 021-20707875

Zhang Haohan 021-51666752

Wang Zihan 021-51666914

Wang Jie 021-51595902

Xu Yang 021-51666760

Chen Bolin 021-51666836

Yang Le 021-51595898

Li Yisha 021-51666730

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

Images in this article contain AI-translated captions for reference only.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

55 mins ago

Cost Support Weakens as Cobalt Prices Fall Across the Board

55 mins ago

1 hour ago

Core Lithium Resumes Spodumene Production at Finniss, Boosting Capacity by 20% After Two-Year Break

On September 8th, Core Lithium has produced first spodumene concentrate from the recommissioned Finniss processing plant in the Northern Territory, marking a milestone in the company's staged restart of the operation. Core Lithium restarted mining at the Grants openpit in May and recommissioned the crushing circuit in August to build sufficient crushed ore stockpiles for processing. First concentrate was achieved within six months of the company's final investment decision to proceed with the Finniss restart. The company has undertaken targeted upgrades to debottleneck the processing circuit and optimise recoveries, including screen refurbishments, rolls crusher enhancements and improvements to the ferrosilicon distribution system. Crushing and dense media separation operations have been consolidated into a single control room. These upgrades are expected to increase plant throughput capacity by about 20% to 1.2 million t/y. Finniss began initial spodumene concentrate production in February 2023 before being placed on care and maintenance in mid-2024 amid a downturn in lithium prices. The project has since been repositioned as a lower-cost, long-life operation with a 20-year mine life and average production of 214,000 t/y. Finniss is the only major hard-rock lithium mine operating outside of Western Australia.

1 hour ago

[SMM Weekly Review] Hydrometallurgical Recycling Market This Week: Pure Cobalt and Ternary Black Mass Payables Fell Steadily, LFP Prices Mostly Fluctuated (Sep. 7, 2026 - Sep. 10, 2026)

Raw material side, lithium carbonate prices consolidated at lows this week, with lows repeatedly finding support near 140,000 yuan/mt and highs moving lower day by day from 155,000 yuan/mt at the start of the week. Nickel sulphate prices consolidated in a narrow range, while cobalt sulphate prices broke their stabilisation from last week and resumed declines with widening losses.

1 hour ago