INFINIUM announced today a breakthrough in aluminum production using its patented Pure Oxygen Anode technology, providing dramatic advantages over century-old technology used throughout the world. The company has successfully and repeatedly demonstrated its process for primary production of aluminum, an over $100B global market, which operates at lower production cost than today’s technology, using half the energy, and with virtually no emissions. INFINIUM also announced today that in recognition of these advantages, the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E office (ARPA-E) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) are providing grant funding to support INFINIUM’s development and commercialization of this technology.
“Production of aluminum using electrolysis has made only incremental progress since the invention of the Hall-Héroult process in 1880”, comments Steve Derezinski, CEO of INFINIUM. “Our inert anodes make possible a much more efficient system design, and we are moving to accelerate development to address the market’s need for a much cleaner, lower cost approach to light metals production. Support by both ARPA-E and MassCEC validates the transformative nature of this technology, and its ability to have a major impact on how the world produces metals.”
INFINIUM is the sole manufacturer of metals with Pure Oxygen Anodes, and has already demonstrated the ability to produce Magnesium, Titanium, Tantalum, Neodymium, Dysprosium, and solar-grade silicon from their oxides. By separating the metal production chamber from anode gases, INFINIUM anodes eliminate corrosive and toxic anode gas contamination, are uniquely able to reduce cell energy losses by 60% or more, and eliminate the cost, energy, and emissions of graphite anode production. The company has identified key advantages of its technology in aluminum production as: 1) virtually eliminating CO2 emissions, which currently create 7-10 lb CO2 for every lb of aluminum produced, 2) enabling 3x-5x higher production output per footprint, and 3) reducing the cost by halving the energy required and eliminating the need for consumable graphite anodes.
ARPA-E announced winners of its Light Metals Systems program on September 19, and INFINIUM was selected as a winner for the Aluminum category. As a result of the award, INFINIUM will receive $1 million in funding to accelerate the commercialization of aluminum using its process.
Contemporaneous with the ARPA-E award, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has provided a matching grant to INFINIUM in support of the advancement of the company’s aluminum production technology. “Supporting Massachusetts clean energy companies helps them advance their technology here while creating high-quality jobs in the Commonwealth,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. “With two consecutive years of double-digit job growth in the clean energy sector, we’re seeing positive results.”
INFINIUM recently expanded its facilities in Natick, doubling its R&D capabilities, and adding key business and technology personnel.
