Albemarle Selected by U.S. DOE for Lithium Research Projects

Albemarle was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to be a critical partner for two lithium research projects over three years through a Battery Manufacturing Lab Call. We will work in conjunction with two DOE labs on these approved projects. Keep reading to learn more about both.

Project One: Advanced Brine Processing to Enable U.S. Lithium Independence
In collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, this research enables the development of a novel technology, which provides a new production route eliminating steps in the current state-of-the-art process by going directly from lithium chloride to lithium hydroxide.

Project Two: Scaling Up of High-Performance Single Crystalline Ni-rich Cathode Materials with Advanced Lithium Salts
The second project, which will be done in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will accelerate the commercialization of high-energy cathodes for extended battery life in the electric vehicle (EV) application.

“Successful execution of the first project will allow for more efficient utilization of the lithium brine resource in the Clayton Valley area of Nevada and a new pathway to a critical lithium material. The technology could also help make U.S. geothermal and oilfield brines more economical, including our brine reserves in Magnolia, Arkansas. Through the second project, we will learn how tailored lithium salts can further improve cathode performance, leading to more energy dense and longer life lithium ion batteries,” said Dr. Glen Merfeld, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Lithium.

To learn more about our lithium business, please click here.