hte equips FBICRC project with precipitation unit for battery materials research

The FBICRC has approved funding for a Cathode Precursor Materials Pilot Plant project which is being led by Curtin University’s Western Australian School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering in Perth, Australia, and involves government and 14 supporting industry participants and four research partners, including Australia’s CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). The 4-fold precipitation unit will be used as part of research into precipitation reactions in the field of battery materials, in particular the preparation of precursors for cathode materials.

The unit consists of 4 individual precipitation reactor systems that can be operated either in continuous or batch mode utilizing solid/liquid separators. The reactors can accommodate operating temperatures from 20 °C to 70 °C under ambient pressure. The system is fully automated and supported by hte’s proprietary software solution, hteControl, to allow for safe and unattended operation 24/7. The software interface includes experiment documentation and reporting functionalities. hte’s long-term experience in the field of material synthesis and automation is applied in the engineering of this unit with proven technology for battery research.

Chief Executive Officer, Stedman Ellis, said the Cathode Precursor Materials Pilot Plant project is a key priority for the FBICRC. “The Cathode Precursor Materials Pilot Plant project aims to develop and demonstrate the technical and processing capabilities that will be needed to manufacture nickel-rich and cathode-active materials here in Western Australia (WA). Curtin University’s leadership of this important research provides a platform to build on the existing investment in battery chemicals plants currently underway in WA,” Stedman said.

Wolfram Stichert, CEO of hte, comments: “We are pleased to have been selected by Curtin University, a key participant in the FBICRC, and that our technology will be used in the area of battery materials, which is currently in high demand.”