Metso says market is forming for its pCAM system

Finland-based Metso Corp., which launched a precursor cathode active materials (pCAM) production plant this May, says it has received positive feedback from potential customers for the lithium-ion battery metals production system.

“Currently, we are involved in discussions with several pCAM producers in North America, Australia and Europe,” says Markus Koponen, a technology manager at Metso.

He adds, “The discussions have ranged from the delivery of complete plants to supplying certain key technology, like reactors and plant automation, for planned or existing plants. We have several customer projects and pilot campaigns ongoing.”

According to Koponen, the feedback from customers has been positive. “Our innovative reactor technology and advanced process control are seen as critical enablers for a more sustainable and economically viable pCAM production. In addition, our ability to support customers across the entire process, including selection and in-house testing, process design and piloting of materials recovered from battery black mass is considered a value adding benefit.”

Metso calls itself one of the first European suppliers able to deliver a pCAM plant with hydrometallurgical technologies “for the manufacturing of premium pCAM.”

The company’s OKTOP reactor has been designed to enable what Metso calls high throughput with reduced floor space for batch, semi-batch and continuous operation with one reactor setup. The firm also says its system can provide “improved yield thanks to advanced process control and online analyzers.”

States Metso, “Based on the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA), the Metso pCAM process features remarkable sustainability benefits, reducing water consumption by about 52 percent, CO₂ emissions by about 31 percent and power [requirements] by about 27 percent.”

The company says it can “deliver the whole production process—from mine to battery materials and recycling of black mass—complemented with world class service support.”