American Manganese Inc. Examines Lithium Ion Battery Recycling Opportunities
Vancouver, B.C. (FSCwire) - Larry W. Reaugh, President and Chief Executive Officer of
American Manganese Inc. (“American Manganese” or “AMI” or the “Company”), (TSX.V: AMY; Pink Sheets: AMYZF;
Frankfurt: 2AM), is pleased to announce that the Company has successfully completed the recycling of 100% of Cathode
Materials (Co, Ni, Mn, Al) and 92% of Lithium from its US Patent Pending recycling application. Also, the Company produced
rechargeable Lithium Ion Cobalt and Lithium Nickel Manganese button cell batteries from its recycled cathode material.
On January 19, 2017, the company posted the monetary values (per 500 kg) of the metals recovered from Electric Vehicle Lithium
Ion Batteries (‘LIBs’). The Company updates the values as follows:
Battery
Chemistry
|
Date
|
Value/Battery *
|
Lithium Cobalt (LCO)
|
Jan 19
|
$3,745.00
|
|
July 25
|
$5,947.00
|
|
|
|
Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC)
|
Jan 19
|
$1,702.00
|
|
July 25
|
$2,347.00
|
|
|
|
Nickel Cobalt Aluminum (NCA)
|
Jan 19
|
$1,327.00
|
|
July 25
|
$1,585.00
|
* Prices for Nickel and Aluminum are sourced from Kitco.com; for Electrolytic Manganese dioxide from USGS; for Lithium sourced
from the Outsiders Club; and for Cobalt from Infomine.com
The significant increase in spent electric vehicle battery value is due to the increase in the price of cobalt from $35.02 to
$58.50/kg over the past six months. “Cobalt is currently under severe supply side pressure, and is expected to remain
undersupplied,” said Mr. Reaugh. “According to the Cobalt Development Institute the battery industry consumes 41% of global
cobalt supply (2015). Over the next ten years that usage is expected to increase to above 65%. With such a
significant increase in anticipated demand, recycling is poised to be an important part of the supply solution to the emerging
cobalt shortage.”
Management has been studying ways to capitalize on the company’s technologies working toward developing positive cash
flow. One such opportunity may exist in recycling unused cathodes. Industry sources have shown that up to 10% of
manufactured lithium ion battery cathodes are rejected for use. The rejected cathodes, termed “scrap”, consist of the
aluminum foil backing and the cathode metal powder which we believe can be recycled into usable cathode material using AMI’s
patent-pending process. The company has been offered these scraps (at a cost) by recyclers.
Additionally, and as part of this effort, in early 2018 AMI intends to build and begin operating a pilot plant to prove
continuous recovery of cathode material, with the ability to scale up and design a full-scale recycling plant.
Construction of a hydrometallurgical plant capable of recycling scraps would have the following advantages over recycling spent
Lithium-Ion Batteries:
1. Up to 4,000 tons/year of cobalt, with a current market value of over US$230 million, could be recycled
annually.
2. Other valuable cathode metals such as Ni, Al, Li and Mn, will also be recycled from the various cathode
chemistries.
3. Capital and labor required for the initial plant would be lower as no disassembly of batteries is
required.
4. Recycling cathode metals leaves a much smaller footprint than a traditional mining plant for recovering
metals from ores.
5. AMI’s closed loop process conserves water and does not release toxic waste streams into the
environment.
6. The process would be demonstrated on a commercial scale, so that full-scale industrial facilities can be
engineered and costed out.
AMI has yet to determine the location of the process plant, as it could be sited anywhere in the world where EV battery
manufacturing is occurring.
About Kemetco Research Inc.
Kemetco Research is a private sector integrated science, technology and innovation
company. Their Contract Sciences operation provides laboratory analysis and testing, field work, bench scale studies, pilot plant
investigations, consulting services, applied research and development for both industry and government. Their clients range from
start-up companies developing new technologies through to large multinational corporations with proven processes.
Kemetco provides scientific expertise in the fields of Specialty Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Process and Extractive
Metallurgy. Because Kemetco carries out research in many different fields, it is able to offer a broader range of backgrounds and
expertise than most laboratories.
About American Manganese Inc.
American Manganese Inc. is a diversified specialty and critical metal
company focused on capitalizing on its patented intellectual property through low cost production or recovery of electrolytic
manganese products throughout the world, and recycling of spent electric vehicle lithium ion rechargeable batteries.
Interest in the Company’s patented process has adjusted the focus of American Manganese Inc. toward the examination of
applying its patented technology for other purposes and materials. American Manganese Inc. aims to capitalize on its
patented technology and proprietary know-how to become and industry leader in the recycling of spent electric vehicle lithium ion
batteries having cathode chemistries such as: Lithium-Cobalt, Lithium-Cobalt-Nickel-Manganese, and Lithium-Manganese
(Please
see the Company’s January 19, 2017 press release for further details).
On behalf of Management
AMERICAN MANGANESE INC.
Larry W. Reaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer
Information Contacts:
Larry W. Reaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: 778 574 4444; Email: lreaugh@amymn.com
www.americanmanganeseinc.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of
the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may
contain “forward-looking statements”, which are statements about the future based on current expectations or beliefs. For
this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward –looking statements by
their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate or
true. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any
obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.
To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:
public://news_release_pdf/AmericanManganese07272017.pdf
Source: American Manganese Inc. (TSX Venture:AMY, OTC Pink:AMYZF, FWB:2AM)
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