Xerion Advanced Battery Corp., a developer and manufacturer of next-generation battery components and critical minerals, announced a new one-step cobalt refinement process, as well as the launch of a pilot-scale production line at its Dayton, Ohio manufacturing facility.

Xerion’s proprietary DirectPlate Molten Salt Electrolysis (MSE) technology, originally developed for the refining and synthesis of battery components, introduces a single-step, continuous process that reduces the complexity and cost of cobalt refinement.

This process offers significant advantages over legacy refinement methods relative to unit economics, supply chain security, and environmental impact, Xerion says. The company has begun pilot-scale production at its five-tonne capacity Dayton, Ohio facility, where it is working to optimize processes ahead of planned future expansions to support commercial-scale production.

Unlike existing methods that require multiple plants and extensive processing, Xerion’s DirectPlate Molten Salt Electrolysis (MSE) approach can transform crude cobalt hydroxide directly into high-purity cobalt metal with unprecedented efficiency. In a lab-unit testing environment, Xerion has consistently achieved greater than 99% pure cobalt metal output with greater than 98% yields, producing more than 100 kilos—a significant advancement over legacy refinement methods.

Critical minerals are essential to the US economy and national security, yet the US relies on convoluted supply chains for many of the key minerals it needs for defense and commercial applications. Today, the US possesses zero domestic cobalt refinement capacity, while China is responsible for 72% of global refinement capacity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

With global cobalt demand expected to grow from 240,000 tonnes in 2024 to between 410,000 and 520,000 tonnes by 2050, Xerion is positioning itself at the forefront of a critical industry transformation.

In addition to economic and supply chain advantages, Xerion’s DirectPlate MSE technique for cobalt metal refinement offers significant environmental benefits as compared to legacy refinement methods. This process involves inherently safe low-temperature processing, drastically reducing electricity requirements as compared to conventional refinement methods while minimizing permitting risk for commercial infrastructure development.

Xerion’s DirectPlate MSE technique also features a closed-loop rinse system, delivering significant water use advantages, in addition to requiring zero organic solvents, resulting in a highly attractive emissions profile.

Xerion has spent more than a decade developing its novel lithium-ion battery technology, using a proprietary production process and a novel new battery architecture to significantly reduce the cost of high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Xerion’s manufacturing platform is founded upon two patented core technologies: DirectPlate, an innovative refining and deposition technique, and StructurePore, a novel battery electrode architecture.

These core technologies combined deliver a lower-cost lithium-ion battery with higher energy density, higher power, faster charge, longer life, improved safety and 40% lower carbon emissions than conventional battery manufacturing.