Impact Minerals (ASX:IPT) says its 50%-owned associate, Alluminous, has completed the first technical milestone in a joint development program with New York-based battery technology company Charge CCCV (C4V).
The particle-engineering phase tested whether Alluminous’ high-purity alumina (HPA) could be processed to meet the physical requirements of lithium-ion battery separator coatings without affecting its chemical purity.
C4V used its proprietary dry particle-engineering technology to produce material with the targeted particle size distribution and morphology. Analysis showed 90% of the particles measured less than 3 microns, while 10% were below 500 nanometres.
Testing found the HPA retained its purity during processing and was of the alpha crystal form, according to Impact. The companies also prepared stable, sodium-free, water-based slurries for battery separator coating evaluation.
Impact says the program will now move into battery architecture development, separator coating optimisation, and electrochemical testing. This phase will incorporate the engineered HPA into full battery cells and benchmark its performance against commercial separator materials.
Additional Alluminous material is being prepared for the work.
C4V will continue advising Alluminous through the technical qualification process and assist with potential commercial opportunities under the companies’ collaboration agreement.
Impact Managing Director Mike Jones says the milestone demonstrates that the HPA can be engineered to meet separator coating particle-size requirements while maintaining its purity.
“The program is now moving into battery architecture development and electrochemical validation, bringing us significantly closer to potential commercial qualification for advanced battery applications,” Jones says.
The next phase is intended to provide technical data for potential customer qualification and commercial supply discussions, although the company notes that further testing is required to establish the material’s performance in battery cells.
Impact Minerals is an Australian exploration company expanding into the HPA industry through its 50% interest in Alluminous.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Impact Minerals
