EMILI: Imerys produces the first laboratory samples of lithium hydroxide
A campaign of laboratory tests has made it possible to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide using granite from the Beauvoir quarry. These encouraging results confirm Imerys’ technological capabilities and the effectiveness of the processes put in place for the EMILI project.
Following several months of tests, the first samples of battery-grade lithium hydroxide from the Beauvoir quarry have been produced. The trials were carried out in external laboratories equipped with the requisite technical skills and material. “The goal was to demonstrate the process for producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide on a small scale,” explains Antoine Gouze, Head of the Process Team for the EMILI project. In terms of manufacturing Li-ion batteries, the purity of the lithium hydroxide powder is crucial to ensure maximum battery performance, lifespan and safety.
Battery-grade lithium made in the lab
The purpose of the tests was to determine if the process selected for the EMILI project could eliminate impurities from the rock. The tests were performed on granite core samples extracted during the geological sampling campaigns. “We have achieved battery-grade quality and we are very close to the expected lithium extraction yield,” confirms Antoine Gouze.
Next step: pilot lab trials, then a pilot plant
These results have cleared the way for the next step: performing continuous tests over several weeks using a laboratory pilot that is currently in development. This new step in the process for validating the hydrometallurgical process is expected to produce one ton of lithium hydroxide.
Finally, Imerys plans to build a pilot plant with an annual production capacity of several hundred tons in 2025. The plant will be used to confirm the performance and robustness of the process and to prepare the future operations teams for the launch of industrial-scale production to supply lithium to the European battery manufacturing sector.
China’s electric vehicle (EV) market continues to experience exponential growth, with over half the population projected to drive fully electric or hybrid vehicles by 2025. Inaugurated in October 2023, Imerys’ talc processing plant in Wuhu China is now successfully fueling the Chinese automotive market with the essential mineral solutions it needs to drive its transition towards more sustainable mobility.
Imerys has just announced the selection of two key sites in the Allier region in France for its lithium extraction and transformation project, EMILI. This move is part of an ambitious initiative to strengthen the European battery industry for electric vehicles and contribute to the energy transition.
Conductive carbon blacks are essential for clean and efficient energy solutions such as lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells. As demand for these products rises in automotive and other energy transition sectors, Imerys is continuously improving its innovation, research and production efficiency to deliver beneficial product solutions to its customers. This commitment recently led to the inauguration of the cutting-edge Carbon Black Pilot Plant at Imerys Willebroek.
With the construction of a new onsite energy recovery plant, Imerys is capturing the feedstock energy contained in syngas, a by-product generated during the carbon black manufacturing. The project – a partnership with energy supplier E.On – will significantly reduce the environmental footprint of carbon black – a key additive in lithium ion batteries serving the clean energy transition.