Toronto’s Li-Metal Corp. believes it is the first company in the world to produce refined lithium metal directly from lithium carbonate. The company is piloting its patented process at its Markham, Ontario, facility.

The production of lithium metal directly from lithium carbonate removes the need for corrosive lithium chloride feedstock material which consequently eliminates the production of chlorine gas encountered in conventional lithium metal production processes, says the company. This reduces the environmental impact of metal production and minimizes the need for costly treatment equipment, enhancing the cost-effectiveness of the technology.

A key component of the next generation lithium-ion batteries is lithium metal anodes, which offer substantial energy density improvements compared to conventional Li-ion batteries. Currently, more than 90% of lithium metal produced globally comes from China.

“We are thrilled to have successfully produced lithium metal demonstrating that our patented technology (patent CA3179470 issued by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office) can produce this highly valuable and strategic material,” Maciej Jastrzebski, co-founder and CTO of Li-Metal said in a news release.

“This is an important precursor to establishing commercial scale metal production and we believe it is the foundation for cost-effective and more sustainable lithium metal production in North America.”