Argonne, Talon Metals Partner on New Process to Use Mining Waste in Battery Production
April 30 2024 - 4:09PM
Business Wire
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National
Laboratory is developing a new process that could dramatically
increase the number of electric vehicle (EV) batteries produced
from mined nickel ore. The effort is part of a new partnership with
Talon Metals, a U.S. mining company that plans to produce
high-grade nickel ore domestically.
Talon’s nickel production has valuable by-product minerals
including iron compounds. The company wants to maximize recovery of
these by-products instead of sending them to waste piles. The
company recognized the potential to use them in production of
lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes (positive electrodes), which
are increasingly used in lithium-ion batteries.
Argonne and Talon have entered into a Collaborative Research and
Development Agreement. They are developing a process that uses iron
sulfides from Talon to synthesize LFP cathodes.
Researchers at Argonne’s Materials Engineering Research Facility
(MERF) will develop, optimize and implement an LFP synthesis
process and then test the cathodes’ performance in coin battery
cells. Talon’s processing experts will collaborate with MERF
scientists to calibrate the iron compounds’ purity and composition
to enhance cathode production. The team’s objective is to make
commercial-quality cathodes.
An effective new process can potentially reduce LFP
manufacturing costs by eliminating traditional production steps. It
could also improve domestic battery supply chains in a number of
ways. There is currently limited domestic LFP cathode production.
Argonne could potentially change that by enabling U.S. battery
manufacturers and recyclers with a new LFP synthesis technology.
Additionally, the process could make U.S. nickel mining and
processing more profitable, encouraging more companies to embark on
domestic nickel production.
“Nickel concentrates produced from high-grade nickel ore contain
four times more iron than nickel,” said Talon CEO Henri van Rooyen.
“By using this iron to produce LFP batteries, Talon can supply
ingredients for multiple battery technologies, generate a new
income stream and reduce waste. And we can substantially increase
the number of batteries manufactured from the same ton of rock
compared with conventional approaches.”
“Our partnership with Talon Metals seeks to make more efficient
use of critical materials in domestic battery supply chains so that
the U.S. can rely less on other countries to achieve its clean
energy goals,” said Jeff Spangenberger, Argonne’s materials
recycling group leader.
DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office provided funding for Argonne’s
portion of this project.
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Christopher J. Kramer Head of Media Relations Argonne National
Laboratory Office: 630.252.5580 Email: media@anl.gov