Materials overview
What Is the Material Library?
Your material library is a private, reusable database of every material and component that you supply. Think of it as your catalogue: each entry represents a distinct material with its full specification — composition, origin, CAS numbers, and supporting documents — stored once and ready to reference whenever an operator asks for it.
The key benefit is avoiding repeated data entry. Battery manufacturers and operators commonly request the same composition data for the same materials across multiple DPP projects. Without a library, you would enter identical values every time. With the library, you select the material, and the values flow directly into your response.
Your material library is private to your Traceable account. Operators cannot browse it. They only see material data when you explicitly reference a material in a response to their specific data request.
How Materials Relate to Data Requests
When an operator submits a data request asking for, for example, the elemental composition of a lithium iron phosphate cathode material you supply, you have two options when responding:
- Enter values manually — type each value directly into the response form
- Select from your library — click "From library", search for the material, select it, and all stored values populate the corresponding fields automatically
Using the library is faster and reduces transcription errors. If the material in your library has been updated since you last referenced it, Traceable flags the discrepancy so you can review before submitting.
Material Library Fields
Each material in your library contains the following information:
Identity Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Your internal name for the material. Use your own naming convention for consistency — this is how you will search for it later |
| Description | Optional free text describing the material in more detail |
| Material type | One of: Raw material, Processed material, Component |
| Category | The material category (e.g., Cathode active material, Anode active material, Electrolyte, Separator, Cell housing, Battery management system component) |
Regulatory Identifiers
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| CAS number(s) | Chemical Abstracts Service registry numbers for the substance(s) present. Required for any substance of concern under EU Battery Regulation Annex VI. Multiple CAS numbers can be added for multi-component materials |
Origin and Provenance
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Where the material is extracted or primarily produced — not where it is processed or manufactured into a component. This distinction matters for supply chain due diligence under the EU Battery Regulation |
Composition Breakdown
The composition section allows you to define the material's constituent sub-materials with their weight percentages. Each sub-material row contains:
- Sub-material name
- CAS number (optional at sub-material level)
- Weight percentage
- Unit (mass % is standard; volume % is available for certain liquid or gas-phase materials)
The weight percentages of all sub-materials must total exactly 100%. Traceable validates this and will not allow you to save a material with an incomplete or over-specified composition.
Supporting Documents
Each material can have one or more documents attached — safety data sheets, test reports, REACH compliance declarations, or other technical documentation that substantiates the material's specification. See Certificates for Materials for managed certificates with expiry tracking; the documents section here is for general technical files.
Searching and Filtering Your Materials List
Navigate to Materials in the left sidebar to see your full library.
Search: Use the search bar at the top of the list to find materials by name, description, or CAS number. The search is instant and does not require pressing Enter.
Filter by type: Use the Material Type filter to show only raw materials, processed materials, or components.
Filter by category: Use the Category filter to narrow the list to a specific material category.
Sort: Click any column header to sort the list. The default sort is by last-updated date, with the most recently edited material at the top.
If your library is large, combining the search and filters is the fastest way to find a specific material. For example, searching "LFP" while filtering to "Cathode active material" will typically return only one or two results.
Next Steps
- Create a Material — add a new material to your library
- Certificates for Materials — attach managed, expiry-tracked certificates to specific materials