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- Thread starter cosors
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Thanks for sharing Gero - i signed up to receive that recording, but didn't get it for some reason. Great watch and I always pick up something new when I hear MT talk. His level of technical knowledge leaves most CEO's for dead.....he's incredibly imbedded in the detail/science of battery tech.
One minor point he brought up that answered my question about Talga having a Japan office a few days ago was kind of answered where he publicly acknowledged Dr Caludio Capiglio as Talga's "FORMER" Chief Scientist. So, i'd say they've parted ways on relatively good terms as it made more sense for me to have Dr Claudio relocate to Europe given that's where all the action is, whereas perhaps for family reasons, he wants to remain living in Japan.
I noted he gave Dr Caludio full credit for development of Talnode C, but no mention of Talnode-Si; so clearly we've still got some very smart capable battery scientists on the books who have progressed these new innovations despite Dr Claudio leaving.
Therefore, the question still partly remains - do we have any representation in Japan left? I think probably not now and given I think Mitsui deal is off the table; this will be updated in the next corporate presentation post funding decision.
Not sure mate - I wouldn't read too much into it at this stage as likely just another 'over the counter' secondary trading exchanges.
cosors
👀
Unfortunately I know little about these things. But what I read seems that the Bern BX is directly subordinated to the Swiss stock exchange SX, perhaps like the stock exchanges here in Düsseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart and Berlin are directly subordinated to Frankfurt. I don't know if it is an over the counter exchange but it doesn't seem so to me. Any trading platform more here seems good for me.
I once wanted to buy shares in Switzerland. But the hurdles are quite high or expensive. If now Swiss could buy Talga cheaper that expands our market. But let's wait and see if and how much will be traded.
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cosors
👀
First the commercially now available flagship and then prepare for the premium product I think. It's clear that he first advertises his hot buns.
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cosors
👀
Concise summary
not exciting but nice to see
Talga Group [ASX:TLG] [GR:TGX] (OTCPK:TLGRF)
Talga Group is a technology minerals company enabling stronger, lighter and more functional materials for the multi-billion dollar global coatings, battery, construction and carbon composites markets using graphene and graphite. Talga 100% owned graphite deposits are in Sweden, proprietary process test facility is in Germany.
On January 30 Talga Group announced: "Quarterly activities review for period ending31 December 2022." Highlights include:
Commercial and project development
=> On February 23 Talga Group announced: "Talga successfully completes A$40million institutional placement."
=> On February 23 Talga Group announced: "Permitting advances for Swedish Battery Anode Project..."
=> ?
You can view the latest investor presentation here."
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4581964-graphite-miners-news-for-the-month-of-february-2023
not exciting but nice to see
Talga Group [ASX:TLG] [GR:TGX] (OTCPK:TLGRF)
Talga Group is a technology minerals company enabling stronger, lighter and more functional materials for the multi-billion dollar global coatings, battery, construction and carbon composites markets using graphene and graphite. Talga 100% owned graphite deposits are in Sweden, proprietary process test facility is in Germany.
On January 30 Talga Group announced: "Quarterly activities review for period ending31 December 2022." Highlights include:
Commercial and project development
- "ACC continues to advance 60,000 tonne Talga anode offtake agreement.
- Battery maker Verkor enters LOI for Talga anode supply agreement post quarter end.
- Environmental permit hearing for Vittangi graphite mine commencing 31 January 2023.
- Permitting process for 19,500 tpa Luleå anode refinery advanced."
- "Electric Vehicle Anode (EVA)qualification plant in Sweden achieves ISO 14001 accreditation.
- Silicon anode product, Talnode®-Si, commercialisation and tech development progressed.
- Talga announced opening of new battery Centre of Excellence..."
- "European Investment Bank appraising up to EUR300m loan for Vittangi Anode Project.
- A$32 million raised via institutional placement and Share Purchase Plan.
- Talga presenting and exhibiting at globally significant industry events."
=> On February 23 Talga Group announced: "Talga successfully completes A$40million institutional placement."
=> On February 23 Talga Group announced: "Permitting advances for Swedish Battery Anode Project..."
=> ?
You can view the latest investor presentation here."
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4581964-graphite-miners-news-for-the-month-of-february-2023
WheresTheMonkey
Regular
themselves
cosors
👀
@TentCity
I'll just trust you buddy WTM to describe the situation over there correctly.
To get a cheap SP for me and for general entertainment you could highly recommend this group at HC. No one knows what's going on in their heads better than they do. So check the facts and panic and make me a good SP to top up:
a HC panic must read
YES to a FUTURE without mining
=> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1454936734890940/?_rdr
______
For us here, if anyone wants to look in there, I recommend putting on ski goggles and an aluminium pot on your head as a precaution.
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Haha - yeah there was a 48 hour meltdown on the back of the cap raise! However, I will cut the typical fickle retail shareholder emotions some slack as I too was caught by surprise by the timing of the raise. I knew they had to at some stage soon - but i thought they might wait and see what the EU Commission might have on offer first in early March & raise into the momentum that might bring. However, given the SP strength and who knows how long the EU will take to legislate the proposed CRM & Net Zero Acts, that MT prudently gave himself some more breathing room now and we can continue to hold the line at the negotiating table with ACC & wait for the permits without the risk of the vultures pointing out the cash position is dwindling and the shorters move in.
I’m also very confident about the permit decision - I think it is a forgone conclusion and just gotta wait until early April now. So, I think some of the newer shareholders perhaps don’t have the history of how well placed TLG is in terms of the political imperative for Sweden/EU to back these projects. MT is clearly using the funds raised to start the procurement on long lead items to meet the 2024 production target - so I think we can take confidence that they are pushing ahead and getting on with it knowing that the mining approval will follow.
To be slightly glass half full, whilst there is quite a few newby questions popping up over at HC - it is also good to see new shareholder interest as we need the word to get out to the masses what a good investment Talga is for it to re-rate towards the true value we know it has when certain catalysts are met. The increased volume over the past month and the Euros Hartleys report may have helped in this regard and I for one am certainly appreciating the quarterly webinars - always some gems in there to get an insight into MT’s thinking and plans.
I’m hoping that we either get ACC binding or a Talnode-Si deal over the line in March to compensate/offset the Mitsui MOU not being renewed by March 31. It also didn’t escape me during the Rho Motion interview that MT was speaking about how much extra interest they are getting from Nth America post the implementation of the IRA and are actively in qualification with both cell makers and OEMs. Just like the commercialisation of Talnode-Si crept up on the market more quickly than previously forecast, I think Talga will expand into the US via Talnode-Si, particularly with the US$100m grants on offer for Silicon anode tech more quickly than most people are currently predicting!
Affenhorst
Regular
The one with Verkor may arrive sooner. Not sure if the Q1 target is a current expectation or wording from the LOI.
Semmel
Top 20
Affenhorst
Regular
Well they did give this estimate about 6 weeks before this quarter's end and they made no such claim for the ACC offtake. Maybe I'm just getting impatientI wouldn't give these types of projections much gravitas
teilenswert
Regular
Great interview of Matt - always enjoy listening to his insights.
Once again - he has identified graphite and particularly those with the capacity to go downstream to produce anode (outside of China) as the best investment area in the raw materials/battery sector.
People may recall Matt interviewed MT a few months ago on his podcast and Matt referenced in this interview a ‘integrated anode developer in the Nordics’ having potential to support Europe’s self sufficiency in graphitic raw materials.
One other thing i found interesting was Matt’s forecast that EV manufactures will likely go for smaller batteries and rely of faster charging to be economical/affordable for mass adoption of EVs. Once again - this is where Talnode Si may scale a lot faster if it can improve energy density and fast charge capability of the battery to make this an attractive option for those with range anxiety.
The same principle applies to the cathode additive program - if Talga can produce a carbon black equivalent to Imerys cheaper and allow for more active material in the cathode, then every 1% cost reduction or performance improvement without adding significant cost will be keenly sought after by cell makers/OEMs.
cosors
👀
"The car giants come to the mining conference - want to secure the supply of battery metals
28 februari 2023Major car manufacturers such as Tesla, GM and Ford are coming to the big mining conference BMO mining event in Florida, which is expected to attract 1,500 participants. The reason for the car giants' interest in the conference is that they want to meet the representatives of the mining industry and secure supplies of lithium, nickel, graphite and other battery metals.
The car companies have not previously shown anything major to the mining conference, but now are different times and they are happy to invest in mining companies to ensure access to the critical metals when the car fleets are to be electrified.
Source: mining.com"
https://www.bergsmannen.se/nyheter/...vill-sakra-upp-tillgangen-pa-batterimetaller/
"BMO to Host 32nd Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals Conference
- •World's top metals and mining conference with almost 1,500 industry leaders representing over 600 organizations from six continents
- •Critical minerals, commodities, ESG, the impact of world events on supply and demand, and the global economic outlook to be key themes
- •BMO research analysts available for comment
"We're excited to host the Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals conference for the 32nd year, a forum for the world's largest and best producers, developers, and explorers, as well as investors and influencers," said Dan Barclay, CEO and Group Head, BMO Capital Markets. "We're especially pleased to welcome significant attendance from leaders of end-user companies, including major automakers. Commodities, critical minerals, ESG, supply and demand, and the global economic outlook are just a few of the key topics that will be covered when we meet to discuss the industry this year."
The premier annual global event in the industry, the conference brings together global institutional investors and experts from the metals and mining industries – almost 1,500 individuals representing over 600 organizations - for in-person discussions on key opportunities and pressing challenges for the sector.
"At what looks to be our largest conference to date, we're delighted to be able to offer this world class forum to our corporate and investing clients from around the globe to exchange ideas, evaluate opportunities, and spend time with each other and the BMO team," said Ilan Bahar, Co-Head of Global Metals & Mining, BMO Capital Markets.
"The BMO Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals conference's continued success, now 32 years running, is a testament to our dedication to partnering with metals, mining, and critical minerals clients to achieve their objectives," said Jamie Rogers, Co-Head of Global Metals & Mining, BMO Capital Markets.
Together with keynote presentations and panels of industry leaders, there will be presentations from more than 175 companies at the conference including, amongst others:
here follow many participants. Talga is not among them. The focus doesn't seem to be on the US market atm, but on Europe, as the job application for the QAM also shows. For us, rho motion seems to have been the spot.
The conference is hosted by the BMO Capital Markets' Metals & Mining Equity Research team. The bank's metals & mining research analysts are part of a team of equity analysts across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. that together cover over 850 equities globally. With 11 analysts dedicated to the sector, the Metals & Mining Equity Research team has one of the largest coverage universes of metals, mining, and fertilizer companies in the world, with more than 140 companies under coverage.
News media who would like to request an interview about the conference and market sentiment are asked to contact BMO Media Relations (information below).
About BMO Financial Group
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider - the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $1.14 trillion as of October 31, 2022, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.
SOURCE BMO Financial Group"
https://capitalmarkets.bmo.com/en/n...l-metals-mining-critical-minerals-conference/
cosors
👀
but here:
Organizer: Vinnova Digitally
Wed 22 Mar 2023 at 16:30-17:30
Save to calendar
sign up here
Register by March 22 at the latest
During the free all-digital conference Sweden Innovation Days, March 21-23, Vinnova arranges a number of side events that take place alongside the conference's main program. This is one of them and will take place in English.
The mining of metals and minerals affect the local environment, and both operation and transport can result in large greenhouse gas emissions. Primary production can also have adverse effects on the social sustainability of the local population, in some countries to a degree that human rights are at risk.
How can we secure the supply of raw materials to build, for example, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels? Recycling will not yield sufficient raw materials for the rate of construction of green energy technology, as well as the growing world population and economy. In most cases, the raw materials needed are not available in Sweden or the EU, and instead we rely on agreements with third countries in which the sustainability standards and controls are worse. How can we ensure that production is truly sustainable?
Welcome to a moderated panel discussion about metal and mineral supply for the green energy transition.
https://www.vinnova.se/kalenderhandelser/2023/03/22-mars-raw-materials/
"Raw material supply for the green energy transition
Organizer: Vinnova Digitally
Wed 22 Mar 2023 at 16:30-17:30
Save to calendar
sign up here
Register by March 22 at the latest
During the free all-digital conference Sweden Innovation Days, March 21-23, Vinnova arranges a number of side events that take place alongside the conference's main program. This is one of them and will take place in English.
Raw materials supply for the green energy transition
The sustainable energy transition is essential – But where and how do we produce the raw materials?
Renewable energy and sustainable solutions for energy storage are key in the fight against the climate crisis. But we need to take a close look at the impact of every step in the value chain on nature, climate and people, in order to make the system truly sustainable.The mining of metals and minerals affect the local environment, and both operation and transport can result in large greenhouse gas emissions. Primary production can also have adverse effects on the social sustainability of the local population, in some countries to a degree that human rights are at risk.
How can we secure the supply of raw materials to build, for example, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels? Recycling will not yield sufficient raw materials for the rate of construction of green energy technology, as well as the growing world population and economy. In most cases, the raw materials needed are not available in Sweden or the EU, and instead we rely on agreements with third countries in which the sustainability standards and controls are worse. How can we ensure that production is truly sustainable?
Welcome to a moderated panel discussion about metal and mineral supply for the green energy transition.
Speakers
- Erik Olsson, Head of business development, Midsummer AB
- Martin Edlund, CEO, Minesto AB
- Anna Motta, Head of Technologies and Advanced Materials, Talga Group
- Sara Davidsson, Sustainability Director, Stena Recycling
- Anders Sahlman, moderator
Practical information
To participate in this side event, you register for the entire Sweden Innovation Days conference (the green button above). You will then be given access to the digital platform and separate instructions will be sent in mid-March."https://www.vinnova.se/kalenderhandelser/2023/03/22-mars-raw-materials/
WheresTheMonkey
Regular
Found this over at HC but it was paywalled.
We have hit the BIG TIME with a mention in the Economist
Science & technology | Their dark materials
Mar 1st 2023
Share
Despite probable bumps in the road ahead, caused by faltering economies and component shortages, more than 13m plug-in fully electric or hybrid passenger cars are likely to be sold this year, according to Bloombergnef. This will take the number of evs on the world’s roads from 27m to more than 40m. But that is still only around 3% of the planet’s vehicle fleet. With another 97% to go, mass electrification of transport means there will be a huge demand for batteries and the materials they are made from.
Listen to this story.
Carmakers already fret about spiralling prices and limited supplies of lithium, the crucial ingredient of the lithium-ion batteries at the heart of this revolution. They also worry about cobalt and other ingredients used to make cathodes, the positive electrodes inside those batteries (though recent discoveries of new reserves have dampened those concerns as they relate to cobalt in particular). It does, though, take two to tango. For every cathode, a battery needs an anode, a negative electrode. Anodes are made from graphite, and a supply-shock for that material is brewing.
Graphite is a form of carbon in which the atoms are arranged in sheets. Among other things, it is the stuff used as the “lead” in pencils—hardly the highest of tech applications. As such, anodes have been seen as a bit boring compared with cathodes, with a plentiful supply of raw material from which they can be made. But, driven by growing ev sales, demand for graphite is set to triple from 1.2m tonnes in 2022 to more than 4m tonnes a year by 2030, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a firm of analysts in London. At the moment, supply is growing at only about two-thirds that rate. So there may not be enough graphite to go round, especially as this material has other big users, such as the steel industry.
Graphite used in batteries comes in two forms, both of which have pros and cons. One is natural, dug from the ground—though the mines that produce the best grades are few and far between. The other is synthetic, coming from the roasting of so-called needle coke, a by-product created in some coal-processing and petrochemical plants. This roasting is an energy-intensive process that results in high levels of emissions. At the moment, most graphite for anodes is made in this way, but carmakers worried about their green credentials are expected, increasingly, to seek out the cleaner, mineral variety, says Andrew Miller of Benchmark.
So far, graphite remains the best material available for anodes. But purifying it is a messy business. Conventionally, highly corrosive chemicals, such as hydrofluoric acid, are used to dissolve impurities. Most of this processing is done in China. Carmakers have been nervous enough about that country’s grip on some 60% of the world’s lithium. But, when it comes to graphite, China commands more than 90% of the supply chain.
All of these things have led a number of companies to start seeking to diversify their supplies by opening graphite mines and processing plants elsewhere, particularly in America and Europe. As those operations are often in places that impose tough environmental restrictions on industry, cleaner methods are needed. Though firms are wary about divulging trade secrets, the approaches they are devising should help clean up the industry.
The Lulea plant uses a process called low-temperature alkali-roasting to release impurities from graphite’s crystal structure. These are then washed away with acids milder than hydrofluoric. Mr Thompson says this produces less waste than conventional approaches. For bonus green points, the factory is powered by Sweden’s extensive supply of renewable hydroelectricity. The firm points to an independent analysis which finds the combination produces 96% less greenhouse-gas emissions than making synthetic graphite. Nevertheless, Talga is working on proprietary processes to make production greener still.
As is usual in the industry, once graphite is purified it is turned into tiny spheres that form a fine black powder, before being shipped to battery-makers. Their shape allows these particles to be packed efficiently into an anode, increasing contact between them, and thus overall conductivity. Anode-making itself is done by turning the graphite into a slurry and then coating it onto strips of copper film.
Talga hopes its Swedish operation will produce more than 100,000 tonnes of anode graphite a year. Depending on the size and performance-characteristics of an ev, its battery pack could contain some 70-90kg of graphite. The company’s annual output could therefore be used to power more than 1m new vehicles.
On the other side of the world, Anthony Huston, founder of Graphite One, a firm in Vancouver, Canada, is trying something similar. His firm is carrying out exploratory mining at the appropriately named Graphite Creek, near Nome, in western Alaska (samples from which are shown in the picture on the previous page). This is estimated to contain more than 8m tonnes of the stuff, the largest deposit in the United States—a country which has, since the 1950s, imported all its graphite.
The idea, says Mr Huston, is to ship the graphite south to a processing plant that would be built at a yet-to-be determined site in Washington state. Here it would be purified and processed, also using renewable power. Graphite One is working with Sunrise New Energy, a Chinese anode-materials company in Zibo, Shandong province, on a purification system that would gently heat the graphite in the presence of recyclable cleaning gases.
Nico Cuevas, boss of a firm called Urbix, is looking at an altogether different way to process graphite. Urbix has built a demonstration plant at its base in Mesa, Arizona. This is understood to use heat and mechanical means to excite graphite flakes in such a way that the layers of carbon within open up, allowing impurities to be washed away with less-harmful chemicals.
The Urbix method is a low-energy process clean enough to be carried out on a site zoned for light industrial use, says Mr Cuevas. The firm will use graphite from potential sources within North America, and has signed a joint development deal with sk On, a South Korean battery giant. sk On already has two battery gigafactories in America, and has formed a joint venture with Ford to build three more.
Researchers are developing anodes that use other materials. Silicon and lithium-metal anodes are theoretically more efficient at storing energy, but both come with problems. Silicon, in particular, swells and contracts with charging and discharging, which could damage a battery. However, small doses of such material can be blended into graphite to boost its performance. Urbix says its process allows such substances to be incorporated within the core of its graphite spheres.
Another possibility is to use a different type of carbon. Stora Enso, a Finnish forest-products company, reckons it can make anode material from lignin. This is a natural polymer that gives wood its stiffness, but it is treated as a waste product when wood is processed into paper. Normally, it is burnt to generate heat. Stora Enso plans to refine it into a carbon powder.
Stora Enso will not go into details about how they do this, other than to say their process involves several heat and mechanical treatments which take place at lower temperatures than those conventionally employed to produce synthetic graphite. Northvolt, a Swedish battery-maker, is looking at using the firm’s material.
Alternatives to graphite will, no doubt, continue to progress. But with such huge investment going into gigafactories—almost $300bn over the past four years, according to Benchmark, and most of that based on a familiarity with the existing material—graphite looks like holding its own for some time to come. With new, low-impact mines and cleaner processes, the dark side of the electric car should soon become a bit greener. ■
Curious about the world? To enjoy our mind-expanding science coverage, sign up to Simply Science, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. For more coverage of climate change, sign up to Climate Issue, our fortnightly newsletter, or visit our climate-change hub.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "Their dark materials"
https://www.economist.com/printedition/2023-03-04
We have hit the BIG TIME with a mention in the Economist
Science & technology | Their dark materials
Firms search for greener supplies of graphite for EV batteries
They hope to break China’s dominance of the industry
Mar 1st 2023
Share
Despite probable bumps in the road ahead, caused by faltering economies and component shortages, more than 13m plug-in fully electric or hybrid passenger cars are likely to be sold this year, according to Bloombergnef. This will take the number of evs on the world’s roads from 27m to more than 40m. But that is still only around 3% of the planet’s vehicle fleet. With another 97% to go, mass electrification of transport means there will be a huge demand for batteries and the materials they are made from.
Listen to this story.
Carmakers already fret about spiralling prices and limited supplies of lithium, the crucial ingredient of the lithium-ion batteries at the heart of this revolution. They also worry about cobalt and other ingredients used to make cathodes, the positive electrodes inside those batteries (though recent discoveries of new reserves have dampened those concerns as they relate to cobalt in particular). It does, though, take two to tango. For every cathode, a battery needs an anode, a negative electrode. Anodes are made from graphite, and a supply-shock for that material is brewing.
Graphite is a form of carbon in which the atoms are arranged in sheets. Among other things, it is the stuff used as the “lead” in pencils—hardly the highest of tech applications. As such, anodes have been seen as a bit boring compared with cathodes, with a plentiful supply of raw material from which they can be made. But, driven by growing ev sales, demand for graphite is set to triple from 1.2m tonnes in 2022 to more than 4m tonnes a year by 2030, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a firm of analysts in London. At the moment, supply is growing at only about two-thirds that rate. So there may not be enough graphite to go round, especially as this material has other big users, such as the steel industry.
Graphite used in batteries comes in two forms, both of which have pros and cons. One is natural, dug from the ground—though the mines that produce the best grades are few and far between. The other is synthetic, coming from the roasting of so-called needle coke, a by-product created in some coal-processing and petrochemical plants. This roasting is an energy-intensive process that results in high levels of emissions. At the moment, most graphite for anodes is made in this way, but carmakers worried about their green credentials are expected, increasingly, to seek out the cleaner, mineral variety, says Andrew Miller of Benchmark.
Digging deeper
Whatever its provenance, graphite has to be purified to a level of 99.95% or better—for the slightest impurity interferes with the flow into and out of it of lithium ions. When a battery is being charged, these ions are created at the cathode by stripping electrons from lithium atoms. The electrons are sent towards the anode through an external circuit, and the ions likewise dispatched in that direction via an electrolyte inside the battery. When they reach the anode, these ions are united with electrons supplied by the external circuit and lithium atoms are thus re-formed. Those are then squirrelled away in the graphite’s atomic layers until such time as the battery is called on to supply power. The process then reverses, but with the electrons in the external circuit powering a device, such as an ev’s electric motor.So far, graphite remains the best material available for anodes. But purifying it is a messy business. Conventionally, highly corrosive chemicals, such as hydrofluoric acid, are used to dissolve impurities. Most of this processing is done in China. Carmakers have been nervous enough about that country’s grip on some 60% of the world’s lithium. But, when it comes to graphite, China commands more than 90% of the supply chain.
All of these things have led a number of companies to start seeking to diversify their supplies by opening graphite mines and processing plants elsewhere, particularly in America and Europe. As those operations are often in places that impose tough environmental restrictions on industry, cleaner methods are needed. Though firms are wary about divulging trade secrets, the approaches they are devising should help clean up the industry.
Black gold
One of Europe’s first battery-anode plants, in Lulea, northern Sweden, has already begun supplying carmakers with production samples. This factory, owned by Talga, a firm in Perth, Australia, is fed by a graphite mine the company has developed near Vittangi, 300km yet farther north. The Vittangi mine produces some of the world’s highest-grade graphite, meaning less waste material is generated. The environmental impact can therefore be kept small, says Mark Thompson, Talga’s boss.The Lulea plant uses a process called low-temperature alkali-roasting to release impurities from graphite’s crystal structure. These are then washed away with acids milder than hydrofluoric. Mr Thompson says this produces less waste than conventional approaches. For bonus green points, the factory is powered by Sweden’s extensive supply of renewable hydroelectricity. The firm points to an independent analysis which finds the combination produces 96% less greenhouse-gas emissions than making synthetic graphite. Nevertheless, Talga is working on proprietary processes to make production greener still.
As is usual in the industry, once graphite is purified it is turned into tiny spheres that form a fine black powder, before being shipped to battery-makers. Their shape allows these particles to be packed efficiently into an anode, increasing contact between them, and thus overall conductivity. Anode-making itself is done by turning the graphite into a slurry and then coating it onto strips of copper film.
Talga hopes its Swedish operation will produce more than 100,000 tonnes of anode graphite a year. Depending on the size and performance-characteristics of an ev, its battery pack could contain some 70-90kg of graphite. The company’s annual output could therefore be used to power more than 1m new vehicles.
On the other side of the world, Anthony Huston, founder of Graphite One, a firm in Vancouver, Canada, is trying something similar. His firm is carrying out exploratory mining at the appropriately named Graphite Creek, near Nome, in western Alaska (samples from which are shown in the picture on the previous page). This is estimated to contain more than 8m tonnes of the stuff, the largest deposit in the United States—a country which has, since the 1950s, imported all its graphite.
The idea, says Mr Huston, is to ship the graphite south to a processing plant that would be built at a yet-to-be determined site in Washington state. Here it would be purified and processed, also using renewable power. Graphite One is working with Sunrise New Energy, a Chinese anode-materials company in Zibo, Shandong province, on a purification system that would gently heat the graphite in the presence of recyclable cleaning gases.
Nico Cuevas, boss of a firm called Urbix, is looking at an altogether different way to process graphite. Urbix has built a demonstration plant at its base in Mesa, Arizona. This is understood to use heat and mechanical means to excite graphite flakes in such a way that the layers of carbon within open up, allowing impurities to be washed away with less-harmful chemicals.
The Urbix method is a low-energy process clean enough to be carried out on a site zoned for light industrial use, says Mr Cuevas. The firm will use graphite from potential sources within North America, and has signed a joint development deal with sk On, a South Korean battery giant. sk On already has two battery gigafactories in America, and has formed a joint venture with Ford to build three more.
Researchers are developing anodes that use other materials. Silicon and lithium-metal anodes are theoretically more efficient at storing energy, but both come with problems. Silicon, in particular, swells and contracts with charging and discharging, which could damage a battery. However, small doses of such material can be blended into graphite to boost its performance. Urbix says its process allows such substances to be incorporated within the core of its graphite spheres.
Another possibility is to use a different type of carbon. Stora Enso, a Finnish forest-products company, reckons it can make anode material from lignin. This is a natural polymer that gives wood its stiffness, but it is treated as a waste product when wood is processed into paper. Normally, it is burnt to generate heat. Stora Enso plans to refine it into a carbon powder.
Stora Enso will not go into details about how they do this, other than to say their process involves several heat and mechanical treatments which take place at lower temperatures than those conventionally employed to produce synthetic graphite. Northvolt, a Swedish battery-maker, is looking at using the firm’s material.
Alternatives to graphite will, no doubt, continue to progress. But with such huge investment going into gigafactories—almost $300bn over the past four years, according to Benchmark, and most of that based on a familiarity with the existing material—graphite looks like holding its own for some time to come. With new, low-impact mines and cleaner processes, the dark side of the electric car should soon become a bit greener. ■
Curious about the world? To enjoy our mind-expanding science coverage, sign up to Simply Science, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. For more coverage of climate change, sign up to Climate Issue, our fortnightly newsletter, or visit our climate-change hub.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "Their dark materials"
Science & technologyMarch 4th 2023
- Firms search for greener supplies of graphite for EV batteries
- The origin of grapevines is a tangled vine itself
- Antarctic rocks can help sort stone tools from natural lookalikes
From the March 4th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentshttps://www.economist.com/printedition/2023-03-04
cosors
👀
This post about us comes from Indonesia. Quite interesting. The podcast (mp3) is in English.
Salah satu pabrik anoda baterai pertama di Eropa, di Lulea, Swedia utara, telah mulai memasok sampel produksi kepada pembuat mobil. Pabrik ini, dimiliki oleh Talga
translated from Indonesian:
ECONOMY
8th March '23
Listen to this story. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.
https://www.economist.com/media-assets/audio/074%20Science%20and%20technology%20-%20Electric%20cars-b2ce574aff2d445b1980b25511039a8f.mp3
Automakers are already worried about soaring prices and limited supplies of lithium, the critical ingredient of lithium-ion batteries at the heart of this revolution. They are also concerned about the cobalt and other materials used to make the cathode, the positive electrode inside those batteries (although the recent discovery of new reserves has allayed those concerns as they are particularly associated with cobalt). However, it takes two to tango. For each cathode, the battery needs an anode, a negative electrode. The anode is made of graphite, and a supply shock for that material is being constructed.
Graphite is a form of carbon in which the atoms are arranged in sheets. Among other things, those are things that are used as “lead” in pencils—not the highest tech applications. As such, the anode looks a bit dull compared to the cathode, with an abundant supply of raw materials to manufacture it. But, boosted by growth in EV sales, demand for graphite is set to triple from 1.2 million tonnes in 2022 to more than 4 million tonnes annually by 2030, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, an analyst firm in London. Currently, supply is growing at only about two-thirds of that rate. So there may not be enough graphite for spinning, especially since this material has other large users, such as the steel industry.
Graphite used in batteries comes in two forms, both of which have their pros and cons. One is natural, dug from the ground—though the mines that yield the best value are few and far between. Others are synthetic, derived from the roasting of so-called needle coke, a by-product made in some coal and petrochemical processing plants. This roasting is an energy-intensive process that results in high emission levels. Currently, most graphite for anodes is made this way, but automakers concerned about their eco-friendly credentials are expected to increasingly seek cleaner variations of the mineral, said Benchmark's Andrew Miller.
So far, graphite remains the best material available for anodes. But purifying it is a messy business. Conventionally, highly corrosive chemicals, such as hydrofluoric acid, are used to dissolve the dirt. Most of this processing is done in China. Automakers are already quite nervous about the country's grip on about 60% of the world's lithium. However, when it comes to graphite, China controls more than 90% of the supply chain.
All of this has caused a number of companies to start diversifying their supply by opening graphite mines and processing plants elsewhere, especially in America and Europe. Since these operations are often carried out in places that impose strict environmental restrictions on the industry, cleaner methods are needed. While the company is wary of leaking trade secrets, the approach they devised should help clean up the industry.
The Lulea mill uses a process called low temperature alkaline roasting to strip impurities from the graphite crystal structure. This is then washed with a milder acid than hydrofluoric*. Mr Thompson says this creates less waste than conventional approaches. For bonus green points, the plant is powered by Sweden's extensive supply of renewable hydroelectric power. The company points to an independent analysis which found the combination produces 96% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than making synthetic graphite. However, Talega is working on a proprietary process to make production greener. *That's news to me. The application is about HF...?
As is common in the industry, after graphite has been refined, it is turned into tiny balls that form a fine black powder, before being shipped to battery makers. The shape allows these particles to be packed efficiently into the anode, increasing the contact between the particles, and thus the overall conductivity. Making the anode itself is done by turning the graphite into a slurry and then coating it with strips of copper film.
Talga expects its Swedish operation to produce more than 100,000 tons of graphite anodes per year. Depending on the size and performance characteristics of an EV , the battery pack can contain around 70-90kg of graphite. Therefore, the company's annual output can be used to power more than 1 million new vehicles.
On the other side of the world, Anthony Huston, founder of Graphite One, a firm in Vancouver, Canada, is trying something similar. His company is conducting exploratory mining at the aptly named Graphite Creek, near Nome, in western Alaska (a sample of which is shown in the figure on the previous page). It is estimated to contain more than 8 million tons of the stuff, the largest deposit in the United States — a country that has, since the 1950s, imported all of its graphite.
The idea, says Mr Huston, is to ship the graphite south to a processing plant which will be built at an undetermined location in Washington state. Here it will be purified and processed, also using renewable energy. Graphite One is working with Sunrise New Energy, a Chinese anode materials company in Zibo, Shandong province, on a purification system that will gently heat graphite in the presence of a recyclable purge gas.
Nico Cuevas, the boss of a company called Urbix, was looking for a completely different way to process graphite. Urbix has built a pilot plant at its headquarters in Mesa, Arizona. It's understood to use heat and mechanical means to excite graphite flakes in such a way that the carbon layers within them are exposed, allowing the dirt to be cleaned off with less harmful chemicals.
The Urbix method is an energy efficient process that is clean enough to be performed in a location zoned for light industrial use, said Mr Cuevas. The company will use graphite from potential sources in North America, and has signed a development deal with SK Active, the South Korean battery giant. SK On already has two battery gigafactories in America, and has formed a joint venture with Ford to build three more.
Researchers are developing anodes that use other materials. Silicon and lithium-metal anodes are theoretically more efficient at storing energy, but they have problems. Silicone, in particular, swells and contracts with charging and discharging, which can damage the battery. However, small doses of these materials can be mixed into graphite to enhance its performance. Urbix says the process allows such a substance to be inserted into the core of its graphite spheres.
Another possibility is to use a different type of carbon. Stora Enso, a Finnish forest product company, assesses that it can make anode materials from lignin. It is a natural polymer that gives wood its rigidity, but is treated as a waste product when wood is processed into paper. Usually, it is burned to produce heat. Stora Enso plans to refine it into carbon powder.
Stora Enso would not elaborate on how they do this, other than to say their process involves several heat and mechanical treatments that take place at lower temperatures than those used conventionally to produce synthetic graphite. Northvolt, a Swedish battery maker, is considering using the company's materials.
Alternatives to graphite, no doubt, will continue to develop. But with that kind of investment going into gigafactories—nearly $300 billion over the past four years, according to Benchmark, and based largely on familiarity with the materials at hand—graphite looks likely to be sticking around for some time to come. With new, lower-impact mines and cleaner processes, the dark side of electric cars will soon be a little greener.
Curious about the world? To enjoy our insightful science coverage, sign up for Simply Science, our weekly subscribers-only newsletter. For more coverage on climate change, sign up for Climate Issues, our bi-weekly newsletter, or visit our climate change center."
https://31left.com/perusahaan-mencari-persediaan-grafit-yang-lebih-ramah-lingkungan-untuk-baterai-ev-31left/
_________
The lignin here as in my other post reminds me of the Cyrene project on non-toxic high performance solvent in which we are a partner.
Salah satu pabrik anoda baterai pertama di Eropa, di Lulea, Swedia utara, telah mulai memasok sampel produksi kepada pembuat mobil. Pabrik ini, dimiliki oleh Talga
translated from Indonesian:
"31Left
News BlogECONOMY
8th March '23
Company seeks more environmentally friendly graphite supplies for EV batteries | 31left
D though there may be bumps in the road ahead, caused by a faltering economy and component shortages, more than 13 million electric passenger cars or plug-in hybrids are likely to be sold this year, according to Bloomberg NEF . This will take the number of EVs on world roads from 27m to just over 40m. But that's still only about 3% of the planet's vehicle fleet. With another 97% remaining, the electrification of mass transportation means there will be a huge demand for batteries and the materials they are made from.Listen to this story. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.
https://www.economist.com/media-assets/audio/074%20Science%20and%20technology%20-%20Electric%20cars-b2ce574aff2d445b1980b25511039a8f.mp3
Automakers are already worried about soaring prices and limited supplies of lithium, the critical ingredient of lithium-ion batteries at the heart of this revolution. They are also concerned about the cobalt and other materials used to make the cathode, the positive electrode inside those batteries (although the recent discovery of new reserves has allayed those concerns as they are particularly associated with cobalt). However, it takes two to tango. For each cathode, the battery needs an anode, a negative electrode. The anode is made of graphite, and a supply shock for that material is being constructed.
Graphite is a form of carbon in which the atoms are arranged in sheets. Among other things, those are things that are used as “lead” in pencils—not the highest tech applications. As such, the anode looks a bit dull compared to the cathode, with an abundant supply of raw materials to manufacture it. But, boosted by growth in EV sales, demand for graphite is set to triple from 1.2 million tonnes in 2022 to more than 4 million tonnes annually by 2030, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, an analyst firm in London. Currently, supply is growing at only about two-thirds of that rate. So there may not be enough graphite for spinning, especially since this material has other large users, such as the steel industry.
Graphite used in batteries comes in two forms, both of which have their pros and cons. One is natural, dug from the ground—though the mines that yield the best value are few and far between. Others are synthetic, derived from the roasting of so-called needle coke, a by-product made in some coal and petrochemical processing plants. This roasting is an energy-intensive process that results in high emission levels. Currently, most graphite for anodes is made this way, but automakers concerned about their eco-friendly credentials are expected to increasingly seek cleaner variations of the mineral, said Benchmark's Andrew Miller.
Dig deep
Regardless of the origin, graphite must be purified to a level of 99.95% or better—because even the slightest impurities interfere with the flow of lithium ions in and out. When the battery is charging, these ions are created at the cathode by removing electrons from lithium atoms. Electrons are sent to the anode via an external circuit, and ions are also sent that way via the electrolyte inside the battery. When they reach the anode, these ions are combined with electrons supplied by the external circuit and the lithium atoms are reformed. It was then spilled on layers of graphite atoms until the battery was called upon to supply power. The process is then reversed, but with electrons in the external circuit powering a device, such as an EV electric motor.So far, graphite remains the best material available for anodes. But purifying it is a messy business. Conventionally, highly corrosive chemicals, such as hydrofluoric acid, are used to dissolve the dirt. Most of this processing is done in China. Automakers are already quite nervous about the country's grip on about 60% of the world's lithium. However, when it comes to graphite, China controls more than 90% of the supply chain.
All of this has caused a number of companies to start diversifying their supply by opening graphite mines and processing plants elsewhere, especially in America and Europe. Since these operations are often carried out in places that impose strict environmental restrictions on the industry, cleaner methods are needed. While the company is wary of leaking trade secrets, the approach they devised should help clean up the industry.
Black gold
One of Europe's first battery anode factories, in Lulea, northern Sweden, has started supplying automakers with production samples. The plant, owned by Talga, a company in Perth, Australia, is supplied by a graphite mine the company is developing near Vittangi, 300 km further north. The Vittani mine produces some of the highest grade graphite in the world, which means less waste material is generated. Therefore, the environmental impact can be kept small, says Mark Thompson, boss of Talga.The Lulea mill uses a process called low temperature alkaline roasting to strip impurities from the graphite crystal structure. This is then washed with a milder acid than hydrofluoric*. Mr Thompson says this creates less waste than conventional approaches. For bonus green points, the plant is powered by Sweden's extensive supply of renewable hydroelectric power. The company points to an independent analysis which found the combination produces 96% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than making synthetic graphite. However, Talega is working on a proprietary process to make production greener. *That's news to me. The application is about HF...?
As is common in the industry, after graphite has been refined, it is turned into tiny balls that form a fine black powder, before being shipped to battery makers. The shape allows these particles to be packed efficiently into the anode, increasing the contact between the particles, and thus the overall conductivity. Making the anode itself is done by turning the graphite into a slurry and then coating it with strips of copper film.
Talga expects its Swedish operation to produce more than 100,000 tons of graphite anodes per year. Depending on the size and performance characteristics of an EV , the battery pack can contain around 70-90kg of graphite. Therefore, the company's annual output can be used to power more than 1 million new vehicles.
On the other side of the world, Anthony Huston, founder of Graphite One, a firm in Vancouver, Canada, is trying something similar. His company is conducting exploratory mining at the aptly named Graphite Creek, near Nome, in western Alaska (a sample of which is shown in the figure on the previous page). It is estimated to contain more than 8 million tons of the stuff, the largest deposit in the United States — a country that has, since the 1950s, imported all of its graphite.
The idea, says Mr Huston, is to ship the graphite south to a processing plant which will be built at an undetermined location in Washington state. Here it will be purified and processed, also using renewable energy. Graphite One is working with Sunrise New Energy, a Chinese anode materials company in Zibo, Shandong province, on a purification system that will gently heat graphite in the presence of a recyclable purge gas.
Nico Cuevas, the boss of a company called Urbix, was looking for a completely different way to process graphite. Urbix has built a pilot plant at its headquarters in Mesa, Arizona. It's understood to use heat and mechanical means to excite graphite flakes in such a way that the carbon layers within them are exposed, allowing the dirt to be cleaned off with less harmful chemicals.
The Urbix method is an energy efficient process that is clean enough to be performed in a location zoned for light industrial use, said Mr Cuevas. The company will use graphite from potential sources in North America, and has signed a development deal with SK Active, the South Korean battery giant. SK On already has two battery gigafactories in America, and has formed a joint venture with Ford to build three more.
Researchers are developing anodes that use other materials. Silicon and lithium-metal anodes are theoretically more efficient at storing energy, but they have problems. Silicone, in particular, swells and contracts with charging and discharging, which can damage the battery. However, small doses of these materials can be mixed into graphite to enhance its performance. Urbix says the process allows such a substance to be inserted into the core of its graphite spheres.
Another possibility is to use a different type of carbon. Stora Enso, a Finnish forest product company, assesses that it can make anode materials from lignin. It is a natural polymer that gives wood its rigidity, but is treated as a waste product when wood is processed into paper. Usually, it is burned to produce heat. Stora Enso plans to refine it into carbon powder.
Stora Enso would not elaborate on how they do this, other than to say their process involves several heat and mechanical treatments that take place at lower temperatures than those used conventionally to produce synthetic graphite. Northvolt, a Swedish battery maker, is considering using the company's materials.
Alternatives to graphite, no doubt, will continue to develop. But with that kind of investment going into gigafactories—nearly $300 billion over the past four years, according to Benchmark, and based largely on familiarity with the materials at hand—graphite looks likely to be sticking around for some time to come. With new, lower-impact mines and cleaner processes, the dark side of electric cars will soon be a little greener.
Curious about the world? To enjoy our insightful science coverage, sign up for Simply Science, our weekly subscribers-only newsletter. For more coverage on climate change, sign up for Climate Issues, our bi-weekly newsletter, or visit our climate change center."
https://31left.com/perusahaan-mencari-persediaan-grafit-yang-lebih-ramah-lingkungan-untuk-baterai-ev-31left/
_________
The lignin here as in my other post reminds me of the Cyrene project on non-toxic high performance solvent in which we are a partner.
Whilst I imagine most of investors attention will be on the markets reaction to the SVB fallout today; this press release from the White House with a joint statement from Biden & Von der Leyen is encouraging the US & EU are going to cooperate, rather than compete! Bodes well for the increased interest Talga is receiving from Nth America and the company to successfully have operations on both sides of the Atlantic!