New Process Extracts Critical Battery Metals from Mining Waste with Zero Byproducts
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📰 The quick summary: A New Zealand startup has developed a chemical process to extract valuable battery metals from olivine waste rock, creating a sustainable domestic supply of critical minerals needed for electric vehicles and energy storage.
📈 One key stat: The process extracts 10% mixed metal product from olivine, with 1% being the valuable nickel-manganese-cobalt hydroxide needed for high-density lithium-ion batteries globally.
💬 One key quote: “Concerns among Western nations over critical minerals and the security, or lack thereof, in the supply of them has led entrepreneurs and engineers to look in non-traditional, potentially circular sources, for shoring up supply.”
1️⃣ The big picture: A startup called Aspiring Materials has pioneered a way to extract critical battery minerals from olivine, a rock typically discarded as waste during mining operations. Their process uses low-temperature, ambient pressure methods powered by renewable energy to extract nickel-manganese-cobalt hydroxide (NMH), an essential component for lithium-ion batteries. This innovation addresses major supply chain concerns, as these minerals currently come from problematic sources – cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo with its human rights issues, and nickel and manganese from Indonesia and South Africa, with China controlling most refinement. The method creates a more secure, ethical supply chain for materials essential to the green energy transition.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The chemical extraction process creates zero waste, transforming 100% of the olivine into valuable products. Half becomes Portland cement alternative, 40% turns into useful magnesium products, and 10% yields the precious battery metals. The process recycles its own chemicals through electrolysis, creating a truly circular production method. This approach not only solves critical mineral supply issues but also repurposes mining waste that would otherwise be sold cheaply as gravel. Western markets increasingly value such environmentally responsible production methods despite potentially higher costs, recognizing the importance of sustainable and ethical supply chains for battery materials.
3️⃣ What’s next: Aspiring Materials has established a small pilot plant in Christchurch, New Zealand, demonstrating the viability of their extraction process. The company must now scale up operations to meet growing demand for battery metals. As concerns over ethical sourcing and supply chain security intensify, this circular production method will likely attract increased investment and industry partnerships.
Read the full story here: Good News Network – Chemical Process Produces Critical Battery Metals from This Unloved Mineral with No Waste
