21 November 2018
VIEW ALBEMARLE'S INVESTORS PRESENTATION
VIEW ALBEMARLE'S LITHIUM SUPPLY PRESENTATION
ABOUT ALBEMARLE'S LITHIUM PRODUCTS
Lithium metal
Albemarle offers lithium metal as
ingots, foil, rods, or anodes
in hundreds of sizes and thicknesses
for primary and secondary lithium batteries.
High-purity lithium metal or lithium alloys
are used as anode material.
Current research and development efforts pursue
the objective of manufacturing a rechargeable lithium battery,
by using a lithium metal anode,
which offers the highest energy density
for rechargeable applications.
The anodes of lithium batteries are usually made
of lithium foils and rods.
To achieve higher surface areas, thin lithium foils
are spirally wound in primary cylindrical cells.
Anodes for button cells are cut from rods
or stamped out of foils. We also produce foil laminates
that require the bonding of copper, nickel,
or other metals, to lithium foil.
To meet the highly specialized needs
of lithium-battery researchers
and thermal battery producers,
Albemarle produces a broad range of lithium alloys,
such as
lithium aluminum and lithium silicon
in the form of powders, foils, or anodes.
Our product forms are:
- Lithium foil
- UltraThin foil
- Specialized lithium foil
- Lithium anodes
- Lithium rods
- Lithium alloy powders
- Precision cut-to-length rectangular anodes
- Precision cut-to-shape custom-shaped anodes
In addition to these standard product offerings,
our team of lithium experts is prepared to consider
new and unique products to suit
novel and innovative applications
in the rapidly evolving sector of battery industries.
Please contact us to discuss
how we can improve our standard offerings
to better meet your needs.
Lithium salts such as
lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide
are chemicals from which nearly
all other lithium compounds derive.
These lithium salts are the basis
for rechargeable batteries
that serve a variety of uses
ranging from electronic consumer goods
to the latest electric vehicles.
As the need for batteries of higher power and capacity
evolves, Albemarle will keep focused on
providing not only a reliable source of supply
by constantly increasing production,
but also on improved material quality grades.
As far as lithium carbonate is concerned, we will continue
to focus on efforts to provide higher purity levels
as well as unique physical parameters.
This will meet the demands of cathode manufacturers.
In 2012, Albemarle expanded
its lithium-hydroxide capacity in the United States,
producing material of the highest quality.
In 2016 Albemarle acquired additional production capacity
for Lithium hydroxide in China.
Lithium suilfide
Albemarle is committed to support the development
of future battery technologies.
One of the key materials for an increased safety level
of batteries at a concurrent opportunity
for cost benefits are solid electrolytes.
Here, sulfide based materials
are currently the best performing ones.
Albemarle will serve the increasing demand
for this battery component and thus has expanded
its production capacities for the key compound,
lithium sulfide pure grade Li2S PG.
After a successful commissioning of the new production line
in our production site in Langelsheim, Germany,
Albemarle offers lithium sulfide pure grade (Li2S PG)
on a continuous basis from a pilot production plant.
Annual production capacity is in the range of MT-level.
HIGH QUALITY AND PURITY
The material has been designed to fulfill
the high requirements needed
for applications in lithium ion batteries.
The quality of Li2S from Albemarle is especially suitable
for a variety of processes and applications
in the energy storage sector
because of the unique product characteristics:
- ultra low impurity profile
- free flowing
- easy to dose
- high lot-to-lot consistency.
The high quality of the Li2S PG is monitored
by a complete set of analytical data.
This is to underline the low impurity level.
A specially designed control process in combination
with our established quality management
ensures the target quality.
LIBOB - HIGH PERFORMANCE ADDITIVE
LiBOB [Lithium bis-(oxalato)borate]
belongs to a family of thermally stable chelatoborate salts.
Unlike conventional fluorinated conductive salts
such as LiPF6 or LiBF4, non-toxic LiBOB works
as a multifunctional electrolyte component.
The low nucleophilicity of the BOB anion
leads to a high degree of dissociation
and an unusually high Li-ion transference number.
The halide free product can be employed
both as performance additive in
standard LiPF6 based electrolytes as well as
full conductive salt for lithium batteries.
Its unique film forming properties
cover and protect graphite anode surfaces.
Further benefits result from
its unique film-forming properties, which consists in
covering and protecting the graphite anode.
LiBOB builds up a thin, corrosion-inhibiting,
stable passivation layer on aluminum,
which is used as a current collector on the cathode.
Both effects will improve the durability and safety
of the entire battery.
LIBOB ABG - ADVANCED BATTERY GRADE
The new quality advanced battery grade LiBOB abg
has improved filtration properties
to ease the electrolyte manufacturing process
while keeping unchanged superior electrochemical
characteristics.
KEY BENEFITS OF LIBOB
- Excellent performance vs.
LiFePO4 and NMC type materials - Reduced leaching of Mn
from spinel based cathode active materials - Improved overcharge protection
- Higher safety against mechanical abuse
- Extended operational lifetime at elevated temperature
LIBOB ADDITIVE APPLICATION
- Most advanced halogen-free
performance additive available - High performance additive
- high ionic conductivity combined
with improved safety by protective SEI formation - Sufficient solubility in a large variety of solvents;
EC is no longer mandatory
for protective SEI formation
Lithium carbonate
Lithium carbonate, the first chemical
in the production chain, is the building block
for other lithium derivatives
and used in a great variety of applications, like
frits for the ceramic and enamel industries,
heat resistant glass, aluminum production,
pharmaceuticals, and lithium-ion batteries.
Albemarle produces lithium carbonate at
La Negra, Antofagasta in Chile, and in
Nevada, USA,
based on naturally occurring lithium brines.
Apart from technical carbonate grades,
we produce lithium carbonate
as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)
under GMP conditions, as well as
lithium carbonate battery grade for the battery industry.
Lithium hydroxide
Lithium hydroxide, a strong base,
is mainly used as a reagent
in high-performance lithium greases,
dyes, and in lithium-ion batteries.
Albemarle produces lithium hydroxide technical grade
in the USA and Germany.
Our new plant in North Carolina, USA, is intended
to mainly serve the battery industry
as well as two plants in China.
Lithium chloride
Lithium chloride is a very hygroscopic salt
and used in fluxes, humidity control, and zeolites.
It is a raw material required
for the electrolysis of lithium metal.
Albemarle produces lithium chloride
in Chile, USA and Germany.
Butlylithium
The major industrial application of butyllithium
is that of an anionic initiator
for the manufacture of
polyisoprene,
polybutadiene and
butadiene/styrene copolymers,
all of which have gained considerable importance
to the rubber and plastics market.
Moreover, butyllithium has become a very valuable tool
in the organic synthesis of
active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs),
agrochemicals, and electronic materials.
Due to its strong base strength it can be used
as versatile reagents for the metalation
(deprotonation or metal-halogen exchange)
of organic substrates.
Spodumene
Spodumene is a white to greyish mineral
- chemically a lithium aluminum silicate LiAl(Si 2 O6 ) -
occuring in granite pegmatites.
Albemarle's spodumene concentrates
contain up to 7.2% lithium oxide (lithia)
and have a low impurity profile.
This characteristic makes them especially suitable
as clean lithia source
for the glass and ceramics industry
and for metallurgical applications.
One of the largest spodumene comprising ore bodies
is located in Greenbushes, Western Australia,
where spodumene is mined from open pits.
This ore body is unique not only in size,
but also concerning the quality of the spodumene,
which is very low in iron content.
The ore, naturally containing up to 4.5% lithium oxide,
is processed via gravity, heavy media, flotation
and magnetic processes
into a range of spodumene concentrates
from 5.0 to 7.2% lithium oxide.
Further operating modes are employed to make products
that meet specific customer and application requirements.
DETAILS
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB),
announced today that it has signed
an Exclusivity Agreement (Agreement) with
the potential creation of a 50/50 joint venture (JV)
to own and operate the Wodgina hard rock lithium mine
and ultimately develop
an integrated lithium hydroxide operation
at the resource site.
Wodgina, located in the Pilbara region of
is a world-class hard rock lithium deposit,
with an estimated mine life of over 30 years.
The proposed JV, which remains subject to
negotiation of definitive documents, would combine
Albemarle's world-class lithium production
and marketing expertise with
leading regional presence and mining capabilities.
Under the terms of the Agreement,
Albemarle would manage the marketing and sales
of lithium hydroxide produced
by the JV via Albemarle's long term agreement strategy.
The purchase price for Albemarle's 50% interest
in the JV would be
to fund with available cash and new credit facilities.
It is expected that the transaction
will be accretive to Albemarle's earnings.
The Agreement includes the following key provisions
and commercial terms:
- Albemarle would acquire a 50% interest
in all mineral rights within the Wodgina tenements,
other than iron ore
(which will be retained exclusively by MRL)
and tantalum (which remain held by a third party),
all fixed infrastructure and utility assets,
the spodumene concentration plant
and the mobile mining equipment. - The parties would jointly manage the JV,
through a company to be owned
in equal shares by the parties. - After construction and ramp-up of
the spodumene concentration plant,
the JV is expected to produce
up to 750Ktpa of 6% spodumene concentrate
from Wodgina which is planned
to be used as feedstock
to the future lithium hydroxide plant
(outlined below). - The parties would jointly
fund, design, build and operate
a lithium hydroxide plant in stages
at Wodgina utilizing Albemarle's core design. - The first stage, once fully commissioned,
is expected to produce
at least 50ktpa
of battery grade lithium hydroxide.
Construction would commence
as soon as the necessary licenses and approvals
are in place. - The second stage is expected
to convert the remaining volume of
spodumene concentrate
to battery grade lithium hydroxide
(subject to prevailing lithium market conditions
at the time supporting this development),
at which point the plant is expected
to be producing
at least 100Ktpa of lithium hydroxide. - An exclusivity period until
December 14, 2018
(or such later period as the parties mutually agree)
for the parties to agree upon
and execute binding definitive documents.
While the above terms have been commercially agreed
and the Agreement is binding
in respect to the exclusivity period,
the parties will only become legally bound
to enter into the proposed joint venture upon execution
of definitive documents and board approval by the parties.
Completion of the transaction will be subject to
satisfaction of conditions of an administrative nature,
any regulatory approvals and any third party consents.
"This Agreement is consistent
with our corporate strategy
of pursuing M&A opportunities
that can accelerate and de-risk
our organic growth strategy,"
"We feel confident in leveraging
this world-class lithium resource
with an experienced and knowledgeable
mining company like MRL
to help meet the growing demands
of our global customers."
SOURCE
Media Contact:
Hailey Quinn,
(980) 299-5640,
Hailey.Quinn@albemarle.com;
Investor Relations Contact:
David Ryan,
(980) 299-5641,
David.Ryan@albemarle.com
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