Photo courtesy of Metso
Centered around OKTOP pCAM reactor, PSI 1000 particle size analyzer and pCAM process control, Metso’s pCAM plant integrates advanced technology and decades of know-how to ensure an energy-efficient and sustainable process.
Metso launched the Metso pCAM plant, an intelligent solution for the manufacturing of precursor cathode active material, in June 2024. The Planet Positive-certified solution, used in the production of lithium-ion batteries, has received exciting feedback from customers.
“Currently, we are involved in discussions with several pCAM producers in North America, Australia and Europe. 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 on-going,” said Markus Koponen, technology manager, Precursors at Metso.
According to Koponen, the feedback from customers has been very 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 is the first Western supplier able to deliver a pCAM plant with proprietary technologies for the manufacturing of premium precursor cathode active material. At the core of the plant’s innovative design is the OKTOP reactor. It enables high throughput with reduced floor space for batch, semi-batch and continuous operation with one reactor set-up, and provides improved yield due to advanced process control and online analyzers.
Based on the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA), the Metso pCAM process features remarkable sustainability benefits reducing water consumption by approximately 52 percent, CO2 emissions by approximately 31 percent and power by approximately27 percent.
As a strong and reliable partner for battery minerals development projects, Metso can deliver the whole production process — from mine to battery materials, and recycling of black mass — complemented with world-class service support, the company said.
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