Coin cell battery testing validates lithium hydroxide
Cornish Lithium recently announced that lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) produced from ore mined at their Trelavour Lithium Project and processed at their Demonstration Plant has been successfully used to manufacture coin cell batteries. This milestone represents an important step towards establishing a secure domestic supply of battery-grade lithium for the UK.
Cornish Lithium supplied approximately two kilograms of battery-grade LHM using its proprietary LiStract™ technology to the translational research and innovation organisation CPI for independent battery cell manufacture and testing.
Using the material provided by Cornish Lithium, CPI produced and evaluated lithium-ion coin cell batteries to assess electrochemical performance. The batteries performed in line with, and in some areas exceeded, the performance of comparable cells manufactured using commercially available LHM.
The successful test programme provides independent validation of both the battery-grade quality of the LHM produced at Trelavour and the effectiveness of Cornish Lithium’s innovative LiStract™ process.
Jamie Airnes, CEO of Cornish Lithium, said: “Our team at Trelavour has undertaken a significant amount of work developing and optimising our Demonstration Plant to produce a high-quality lithium hydroxide that meets the demanding specifications of the battery industry.
“The successful battery testing undertaken with CPI provides valuable real-world validation of both our lithium hydroxide product and our proprietary technology. This places Cornish Lithium in a strong position as we continue to advance the development of our Trelavour Lithium Project and engage with potential customers and offtake partners.
“This work also reinforces our decision to invest in the Demonstration Plant and validates the effectiveness of a process that has been extensively tested and refined over several years. The technology enables us to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide from domestic resources and supports our ambition to establish a secure and sustainable lithium supply chain to support the UK’s growing battery manufacturing sector.”
Minister for Reindustrialisation Blair McDougall, said: “This is a really encouraging milestone for Cornish Lithium and shows what’s possible when British innovation and expertise are put to work. It shows we can mine, refine and use critical minerals here in Britain to support the industries of the future.
“Cornwall has a proud industrial heritage, and companies like Cornish Lithium are helping write its next chapter. Through our Critical Minerals Strategy, we’re backing businesses like this to grow, invest and help build the supply chains we need for the years ahead.”
Frank Millar, CEO at CPI, commented: “Building a resilient UK battery supply chain depends on both securing domestic sources of critical materials and demonstrating that those materials can deliver the performance industry needs. CPI’s role is to enable companies to be able to address these system challenges and our work with Cornish Lithium is a great example of a successful collaboration.
“Our team has manufactured and tested battery cells using lithium hydroxide produced from UK-mined material, demonstrating performance in line with, and in some areas exceeding, that of established commercial materials.
“Independent testing of this kind is an important step in building confidence in new technologies and accelerating their path towards commercialisation. By working with innovative companies such as Cornish Lithium, CPI is helping to strengthen the UK’s battery materials capability, build more resilient domestic supply chains and turn UK innovation into economic and industrial value.”
Noah Law MP, whose constituency is home to the Trelavour Lithium Project, added: “The clay country has been producing the minerals the rest of the country depends on for generations. This result shows it can do the same for the batteries that will power the next century. Lithium mined and refined a few miles from here is performing as well as anything the industry buys from abroad. That is a genuine achievement, and it means skilled jobs and long-term investment in communities that have too often been asked to wait for them.”