CENTURY LITHIUM REPORTS LITHIUM METAL FROM ANGEL ISLAND DEMONSTRATED IN BATTERY CELLS UNDER U.S. ARMY SBIR PROGRAM
Century Lithium Corp. has announced that lithium carbonate produced from its 100% owned Angel Island Lithium Project in Nevada was successfully converted into lithium metal. This conversion utilized Alpha-En Corporation's proprietary extraction and electrodeposition process, with the lithium metal incorporated into cylindrical cells manufactured by EaglePicher Technologies. The project received support from the US Army Small Business Innovation Research program, aimed at accelerating the development of innovative technologies relevant to national defense.
Bill Willoughby, President and CEO of Century Lithium, acknowledged Alpha-En's successful work in converting lithium carbonate from Angel Island into high-purity lithium metal, which was tested by EaglePicher under the U.S. Army SBIR program. The initial discharge results from cells with the lithium metal anodes produced from Angel Island indicated higher operating voltages and improved power performance compared to control cells. These attributes are crucial for defense applications that require lightweight, high-energy, and high-power battery systems.
Landon Oakes, Chief Technology Officer of Alpha-En, emphasized that this effort demonstrates the feasibility of manufacturing high-performance lithium metal anodes from US-sourced lithium resources. The integration of domestic raw materials with their extraction and electrodeposition processes establishes a vertically integrated pathway for next-generation battery anodes, thereby reducing dependence on foreign supply chains.
This successful demonstration marks a significant advancement in strengthening the domestic defense battery supply chain. The collaboration links US-based lithium resources, advanced lithium metal manufacturing, and domestic cell fabrication, which aligns with the US Army's goal of achieving critical mineral independence while promoting high-performance battery technologies for future defense systems.
The scientific and technical information presented in this announcement has been reviewed by Todd S. Fayram, Chief Technical Officer of Century Lithium, who is a non-independent Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Century Lithium is currently moving forward with the permitting process for the Angel Island project, which is noted for hosting one of the largest known sedimentary lithium deposits in the United States.