Nickel Hydroxide, a key material for rechargeable battery, is expected to break 98% import dependence on Japan due to domestic technology development
Expected to escape dependence on advanced countries for key materials for secondary batteries by Korean ‘Eco-friendly Hydrometallurgy Smelting Technology’
January 08, 2020
MIR and its affiliates developed the World’s First ‘Eco-friendly Hydrometallurgy Nickel Smelting Technology Using Chlorine Compound’ and held a demonstration in South Korea, on January 8, 2020.
The demonstration, held at the plant in Gwangyang city of Korea, drew keen attention from the industry, with officials from domestic and foreign secondary battery anode material producers and investment institutions in addition to Bakyt Dyussenbayev, the ambassador of Kazakhstan to Korea.
Nickel hydroxide is a green, crystalline inorganic compound produced by applying alkali hydroxide to nickel chloride receptors and is a key material used as a secondary battery anode. Demand for Nickel Hydroxide is expected to continue to expand due to the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market, but as Korea relied 98% on imports from Japan in 2018, it was feared to deal a heavy blow to the government-led promotion of the fourth industry. Accordingly, KISTI, a national leading science and technology research institute of Korea announced in last November that the Nickel Hydroxide as one of the 'Top 10 strategic items against Japan’s export regulation."
Meanwhile, the Eco-friendly Nickel Hydroxide Hydrometallurgy Process, patented by one of the affiliates of MIR, is the world's unique technology developed independently in Korea. It is an innovative technology that produces Nickel Hydroxide, which is one of the 10 strategic items of the Korean government, through 'Eco-friendly Hydrometallurgy Process Using Chlorine Compounds'.
In the conventional dry or sulfuric acid smelting process, considerable wastes were generated and there was a high concern about environmental pollution. However, the technology drastically reduces waste emission, and the initial investment and production cost are very low because high pressure and temperature are not required in the production process. In addition, it is expected to produce additional values such as MgO, etc. from slag that was previously discarded.
CEO of MIR said "Kazakhstan is rich in mineral resources such as nickel and chromium, and if we bring our highly economical Eco-friendly Nickel Hydrometallurgy Technology (also known as "ENP" technology) into these mineral reserves to foster high value-added industries, we will create great synergy," and said, "We will become a leader in strategic material industry in the future by securing the most necessary Nickel Hydroxide for the secondary battery material, economically and stably, but without environmental pollution."
If the project to construct a plant for hydrometallurgy process in Kazakhstan which has been carefully prepared by MIR succeeds, it is expected South Korea will have a technological advantage and secure nickel hydroxide stably, which has been mostly imported by technologically advanced countries such as Japan.
