Batteries and Raw Materials: the Challenges of Extracting the Right Elements from Naturally occurring Minerals

Alan R Butcher

Professor in Geomaterials & Applied Mineralogy

Geological Survey of Finland

Definitions

Battery Mineral Battery Element Battery Metal

Natural Critical Raw Materials as defined by the EU

Definitions

Battery Mineral Battery Element Battery Metal

Naturally-occurring mineral within a rock that contains an element, essential for current battery production.

Natural element, found in the Periodic Table, that is useful for battery manufacture.

Graphitic schist C - Carbon Co - Cobalt

Element used in the manufacture of batteries, which is also a metal.

Natural Critical Raw Materials as defined by the EU

Eg.

Definitions

Battery Mineral Battery Element Battery Metal Battery Material

Naturally-occurring mineral within a rock that contains an element, essential for current battery production.

Natural element, found in the Periodic Table, that is useful for battery manufacture.

Man-made material, often from natural sources, that is created specifically for battery manufacture.

Component of a manufactured battery.

CathodeGraphitic schist C - Carbon Co - Cobalt

Battery Component

Element used in the manufacture of batteries, which is also a metal.

Cobalt hydroxide

Natural Critical Raw Materials as defined by the EU Manufactured for battery end-use

Eg.

Battery chemicals?

Battery Elements & Metals

C

Li

Co

Carbon

Lithium

Cobalt

Ni Nickel

Anode

Electrolyte

Cathodes

Cathodes

Mn, Al, Fe, P, Cu, V, Nd, Dy, Pr

Image credits and idea - Keliber Oy

All ultimately sourced from naturally-occurring minerals

Battery Components

Image credits - Keliber Oy

Batteries from Rocks

Rocks-Minerals Materials Components

Cobalt

Lithium

Commodities with relatively low

existing production capacity, and

prominent use in lithium batteries,

have seen stellar performances in the

last few months.

Newall & Dennis (2017)

5 years

5 years

Source: Lux Research

Battery Elements & Minerals

Carbon is found as naturally-occurring native mineralC

Li Pure lithium is not found in nature

1 mineral

2 forms

Battery Elements & Minerals

Carbon is found as naturally-occurring native mineralC

Li

Co

Ni

Pure lithium is not found in nature

Pure cobalt is not found in nature

Pure nickel is not found in nature

1 mineral

2 forms

30+ minerals

50+ minerals

Graphite

Battery Minerals

Mineral

Type of Mineral

Graphite

C

Natural element

Geological contextMetamorphic

Chemical formula

Graphite is found in economic quantities in geological deposits

Processing

Crushing & grinding

Flotation

Physical separation

Mining Review Africa 2015

Pure Graphite

Product

Carbon is found as a native element mineral

Lithium-bearing minerals

Battery Minerals

Mineral

Type of Mineral

Spodumene

LiAl(SiO3)2

Silicate – Pyroxene Group

Geological context

Pegmatite

Chemical formula

Lithium minerals found in economic deposits

Lithium carbonate

Concentration

α Spodumene

β SpodumeneTemperatures of 950 – 1000 C

Processing

Pure lithium is not found in nature

digitalfire.com

Product

Li2CO3

From the Greek, spodumenos, meaning "burnt to ashes”, when refined for use

Battery MineralsOther lithium sources

The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia contains the largest lithium reserve on the planet

Pure lithium is not found in nature

Gypsum-halite-calcite-glaserite-clay aquifers with brines (salinegroundwater)

Continental brines

Material

Geological context

Battery MineralsOther lithium sources

Gypsum-halite-calcite-glaserite-clay aquifers with brines (salinegroundwater)

Continental brines

Material

Geological context

Lithium chloride

Evaporation in man-made brine ponds over 1-3 years

Processing

Product

Brine ponds and processing areas of the Soquimich lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat, northern Chile Ivan Alvarado/Reuters

Pure lithium is not found in nature

Battery MineralsOther lithium sources

Gypsum-halite-calcite-glaserite-clay aquifers with brines (salinegroundwater)

Continental brines

Material

Geological context

Lithium chloride

Evaporation in man-made brine ponds over 1-3 years

Processing

Product

Brine ponds and processing areas of the Soquimich lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat, northern Chile Ivan Alvarado/Reuters

Pure lithium is not found in nature

Cobalt-bearing minerals

Battery Minerals

Cobaltite

Mineral Type of Mineral

Carrollite

Skutterudite

Linnaeite

Asbolene

Erythrite

CuCo2S4

CoAs3

CoAsS

Co+2Co+32S4

(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O

Co3(AsO4)2·8H2O Arsenate

Arsenide

Sulphide

Sulphide

Oxide

Sulphide

Hydrothermal - volcanogenic

Residual - lateritic

Geological context

Sediment - hosted

Magmatic - sulphide

Magmatic - hydrothermal

Hydrothermal - volcanogenic

Chemical formula

Common cobalt minerals found in economic deposits

Pure cobalt is not found in nature

26 primary minerals contain cobalt

40 secondary minerals can contain cobalt

After BGS 2009

Battery MineralsCommon cobalt minerals found in economic deposits

Newall & Dennis (2017) Al Barazi et al 2017 BGR Report Commodity TopNews 53 (2017)

Industrial mining

Cobaltite

Mineral Type of Mineral

Carrollite CuCo2S4

CoAsS

Sulphide

Sulphide

Geological context

Sediment - hosted

Magmatic - sulphide

Chemical formula

Cobalt hydroxide

Product

Battery MineralsCommon cobalt minerals found in economic deposits

http://benchmarkminerals.com/cobalt-conflict-minerals-the-need-for-supply-chain-leaders/ Al Barazi et al 2017 BGR Report Commodity TopNews 53 (2017)

Artesanal mining

Mineral Type of Mineral

Carrollite CuCo2S4Sulphide

Geological context

Sediment - hosted

Chemical formula

Cobalt copper concentrate

Product

BGR 2017, S&P 2017

Sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits,Central Africa

Summary

Battery Elements, Minerals, Rocks, Processing & Products

Carbon-rich metamorphic rocks Graphite

Lithium Pegmatite deposits

Brine deposits

Clay / shale deposits

Minerals Geological context Products

Cobalt

Elements

Carbon

Spodumene

Processing

Laterite

Cobalt hydroxide, cobalt sulphate, cobalt copper concentrate, or cobalt carbonate

Manganese nodules from sea floor

Sediment-hosted

Hydrothermal - volcanogenic

Magmatic sulphide

Flotation & gravity separation Spherical, flake graphite

Heat treatment alpha-beta Lithium carbonate

Precipitation in brine ponds Lithium chloride

Cobaltite

Carrollite Flotation & gravity separation

LiAl(SiO3)2

CuCo2S4

CoAsS

Nickel(Fe,Ni)O(OH)

Limonite

Garnierite

(Ni,Fe)9S8

Pentlandite

H2O(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2

Sulphide concentrate

Laterite

Magmatic sulphide Flotation & smelting

High T–P autoclave, acid leach, SX-EW, electrowinning

Nickel sulphate or metal

Why should we Be Worried about all this?

Technology Innovation will Change Supply & Demand Landscape

http://www.visualcapitalist.com/nickel-secret-driver-battery-revolution/

Ni Li Co

Mn

PO4Fe

Ni Li Co

MnNi Li Co

Li

Car Manufacturer

Are These Estimates Realistic?

If they are, we need to get finding more minerals, quickly !

Resources within Finland

Kevitsa

Finnish Minerals Group Ltd

Sakatti

Kylylahti

Cobalt

Ferrovan, Keliber and Sotkamo Silver

Nickel

Resources within Finland

Kevitsa

Finnish Minerals Group Ltd

Sakatti

Kylylahti

Lithium

Ferrovan, Keliber and Sotkamo Silver

CobaltNickel

Refining in Finland

Freeport Cobalt Oy global network

World’s largest cobalt refinery is in Kokkola

Mawson Resources

Palokas Prospect, Rajapalot Project, Lapland

A New Look at Minerals & Materials for Future Sources

Monazite

Xenotime

Bastnäsite

LepidoliteTourmalineApatiteAmblygonite(Li,Na)AlPO4(F,OH) Ca10(PO4)6(OH,F,Cl)2 XY3Z6(T6O18)(BO3)3V3W K(Li,Al)3(Al,Si,Rb)4O10(F,OH)2

(Ce,La)PO4

YPO4

(REE)CO3F

Nd

Dy

Pr

Li

GrapheneC

Co Over 60 minerals!

Over 20 minerals!

LiAlSi4O10

Petalite

Innovation!

Cornish Lithium, UK LITHIUM EXTRACTION FROM

MINERALISED BRINE WATER

The company is focused on exploring for lithium within the hot

springs that naturally occur beneath the surface in and around

Cornish granites, with the aim to create a new mining industry in

the region.

Over 2,000 years of mining history!

The Future

Cross-Disciplinary Research

Earth Scientists Materials Scientists Design EngineersMinerals Engineers

Volvo

Battery minerals Battery metals Battery Products Battery Solutions

Minerals, Materials & Products - all by design

Anouncement of GTK Funding

“Finland has excellent opportunities to become a leading country in the European battery market,” Director-General Mika Nykänen, Geological Survey of Finland.4 April 2018

12.04.2018

Additional funding for GTK to strengthen the battery cluster

“The Finnish Government increases the funding framework of the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) by one million euros. In the Government session on spending limits held on 11 April 2018, it was decided that additional funding of one million euros be proposed for GTK. One of the goals of this additional funding is to identify the battery mineral resources and potential in order to strengthen Finland’s battery cluster.”

Kiitos !

alan.butcher@gtk.fi