Alpha HPA manufactures 99.99% high purity alumina coating pre-cursor materials for lithium-ion batteries cathodes and anodes

Alpha HPA has reportedly manufactured a batch of 99.99% high purity alumina (HPA) coating pre-cursor material at its demonstration plant as part of its HPA First project that aims to produce 10,000 tonnes per annum HPA and related products. The material is meant for using in coating cathode and anode particles inside lithium-ion batteries.

Alpha has manufactured this 20kg batch of pre-cursor material under a market outreach program in cooperation with offtake partner Traxys. As a result, the material is available for immediate shipment from Alpha’s Brisbane-based demonstration plant.

Alpha claims it has “recognised a key market opportunity” to use its proprietary HPA First solvent extraction and refining technology to develop the pre-cursor material.

These pre-cursor materials are created for use as particle scale alumina coating of high-nickel cathode active material and synthesis of aluminium-bearing cathode active materials.

“Our ability to manufacture increasingly sought-after pre-cursor product is a particularly exciting development,” Alpha managing director Rimas Kairaitis said.

“The recognition of the flexibility of our process to deliver a number of ultra-high purity products into the lithium-ion value chain is a key opportunity we are looking to rapidly capitalise on,” he added.

In the remaining time of 2020, Alpha plans to convert market interest in its high purity alumina products to offtake arrangements.