Proterial, Ltd., (formerly Hitachi Metals, earlier post) has developed a technology to manufacture cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) without the previously required process of converting nickel to nickel hydroxide(Ni(OH)₂) to produce a precursor that is used as the starting material for the manufacture of cathode materials.

The developed technology enables CO₂ emissions during the production of cathode materials to be reduced by more than 20% compared to the manufacturing method based on the solid phase reaction method (announced in May 2022) that Proterial had developed.

LIB manufacturing accounts for a large proportion of CO₂ emissions in the EV manufacturing process, with the largest share of CO₂ coming from the starting material for cathode material for high nickel-type batteries. In particular, large amounts of CO₂ are emitted in the process of obtaining the precursor nickel hydroxide(Ni(OH)₂) from nickel (Ni).

Proterial has successfully developed a technology for producing cathode materials with comparable electrochemical properties without going through the process of producing the starting material where nickel sulfate (NiSO₄) is produced from metal nickel (Ni), and the precursor of nickel hydroxide(Ni(OH)₂) is then produced from that. With the developed technology, Proterial has succeeded in reducing CO₂ emissions from the starting material by more than 30% compared to the conventional manufacturing method.

Electrochemical properties

This is equivalent to a 20% or greater reduction in CO₂ emissions over the entire cathode material manufacturing process, including the production of starting materials.