DOE Partners with Albemarle on Lithium Research

The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently selected specialty chemicals firm Albemarle as a partner for two lithium research products that will be conducted over a three-year period through a Battery Manufacturing Lab Call, a company release announced Thursday. During the effort, Albemarle will work with two DOE labs on the projects.

“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 US geothermal and oilfield brines more economical, including our brine reserves in Magnolia, AR,” said Dr. Glen Merfeld, vice president and chief technology officer, Lithium, for Albemarle, in a statement. “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.”

The company will collaborate with Argonne National Laboratory on the “Advanced Brine Processing to Enable US Lithium Independence” project, which aims to reduce production steps in the process.

Another project, “Scaling Up of High-Performance Single Crystalline Ni-rich Cathode Materials with Advanced Lithium Salts” will be conducted with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to commercialize high-energy cathodes for extended battery life in EV applications.