ASX-listed, King River Resources has upped the ante in its push to produce high value aluminium precursor compounds used in lithium-ion batteries. Laboratory test work on the company’s already developed 5N purity Type 1 precursor has now added to King River’s repertoire of products with development of a Type 2 precursor - an aluminium compound for use in lithium-ion battery cathodes.
King River recently launched an amended strategy for its definitive feasibility study, or “DFS” evaluating large-scale production of high purity alumina at its proposed manufacturing plant in Kwinana in Western Australia. Under the new strategy, the company is looking to leverage its proprietary processing technology to consider an initially smaller scale operation to only produce high value aluminium precursor compounds.
The company engaged specialist scientific technology company, Source Certain International to investigate if its Type 1 precursor product can be used to produce precursor cathode active materials, or “P-CAMs” - an intermediate mixed metal hydroxide used in the manufacture of lithium-ion battery cathodes.
According to King River, adding aluminium to the cathode active materials increases the lifecycle of batteries whilst it also improves safety levels by increasing the physical, thermal and cycling stability.
Source Certain recently produced a nickel-cobalt-aluminium P-CAM from King River’s Type 1 precursor.
King River reports that ongoing laboratory work by Source Certain has now developed the Type 2 precursor, with test work to optimise the process and improve the purity to more than 99.999 per cent pure, or “5N” continuing.
The company plans to produce other precursor products once the Type 2 optimisation test work is concluded. It aims to generate Type 3 and Type 4 precursors for use in the manufacture of lithium-ion battery cathodes and for the coating of lithium-ion battery electrodes. The new products could also be utilised in LED phosphors and in the electronics and optics industries.
Source Certain is also currently in the process of commissioning a laboratory scale pilot plant. The plant will look to optimise King River’s high purity alumina refining process for the DFS and to produce Type 1 precursor test samples for marketing.
A recent report by leading international provider of business research, BloombergNEF concluded that some 58 per cent of all new manufactured vehicles by 2040 are projected to be either electric or hybrid.
King River seems to be developing its lithium-ion battery precursor products just at the right time with electric vehicle uptake around the world showing no signs of stopping for breath.
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