Altech opens new laboratory to accelerate its HPA battery materials coating technology

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ASX-listed Altech Chemicals has established its own research and development laboratory in Perth, Western Australia.

The laboratory, which has been in a commissioning phase since May and is now close to finalisation, will enable Altech to conduct a full range of research, development and test work – including battery tests – to refine its graphite and silicon particle battery materials HPA coating technology, unhindered.

Previously this work was being conducted at Curtin University and needed to be scheduled around laboratory availability, which did not always fit with Altech’s requirements.

High purity alumina (HPA) is a high-value, high margin product which is increasingly used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery’s separator to improve performance, longevity and safety of the battery.

Altech said in a statement that it has received the first samples of battery materials which will be subjected to various rounds of development tests at the new laboratory.

“Another round of halfcell battery performance tests is also planned – to further test the performance of graphite and silicon particles that have been coated with alumina, using Altech’s proprietary technology,” reads the statement.

Altech is aiming to become one of the world’s leading suppliers of HPA through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa processing plant at Johor, Malaysia.

Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the company’s 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia.

Image credit: Altech Chemicals Facebook page