Altech Advanced Materials AG: BATTERY MATERIALS COATING PILOT PLANT DESIGN COMPLETED

Heidelberg (pta040/01.02.2022/14:45 UTC+1)

• Design of the pilot plant for ceramic coating of anode composite material is completed
• Plant will produce 120kg per day of this lithium-ion battery material for customer testing and qualification
• Engineering contractor discussions nearing completion
• Pilot plant will serve as a blueprint for the planned production plant at the same site with a capacity of 10,000 tons per year

Altech Advanced Materials AG (AAM / the Company) (FRA: AMA1) announces that Altech Industries Germany GmbH (AIG), a subsidiary of Altech Chemicals Limited (75%) and Altech Advanced Materials AG (25%), has completed the preliminary design for a pilot plant, which shall be constructed in Germany to demonstrate Altech’s battery materials coating technology. The pilot plant is designed to produce up to 37 tons of anode grade coated battery material per year for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. AIG hold the exclusive rights for use of Altech’s battery materials coating technology within the European Union.

The pilot plant is to be installed in Schwarze Pumpe in Saxony. AIG already leased the corresponding space in the summer (see CN dated July 19, 2021). Furthermore, an on-site analytical laboratory is planned next to the pilot plant. This will allow continuous monitoring of possible physical parameters as well as rapid assessment of product purity during the production process. Processing parameters and operating set points can be quickly adjusted if necessary.

The pilot plant design has been separated into two distinct areas of processing: precursor production and battery material coating & calcination. Precursor production equipment shall be operated in batch mode. The respective equipment produces about 10 kg per batch. Production is sufficient to feed the downstream anode material coating stage for approximately 30hrs of continuous production. Due to the nature of the metallurgical leach and crystallisation processes, and the high purity requirements of the plant end product, the process equipment shall be manufactured using fluoropolymer and ceramic materials. The design for the pilot plant is based on the insight that Altech and selected equipment suppliers have developed during the design the Johor HPA production facility. Centrifuge, filtration and calcination equipment shall be supplied by equipment vendors in the scale of the targeted industrial production to enable the assessment of operating parameters and sizing scale up calculations.

The coating & calcination section of the pilot plant has been designed to operate continuously with minimal shutdowns, to ensure consistency in the product material. Final product purity has been the major design consideration when selecting process equipment and the main materials of construction.

The production volumes from the pilot plant will be used to further develop the Altech process in terms of product purity and application results. The knowledge gained will be used to optimize the plant design and process parameters for a full-scale production plant with a capacity of 10,000 tons per year. At the same time, quality samples will be produced for potential joint venture partners and end users. The resulting material can then be used by battery manufacturers to demonstrate superior performance in terms of increased efficiency and extended battery life. The anode material benefits from the fact that the basic structure of the battery technology does not have to be changed, i.e. it is a "drop in" process. The anode material used up to now only has to be switched to the nanocoated material from Altech. Laboratory results have shown that a considerable increase in performance can be achieved this way, depending on the type of battery.

AIG is currently in the final stages of engineering contractor selection, with the chosen company to be responsible for detailed engineering design, equipment procurement and installation.

The Board of Directors

About Altech Advanced Materials AG

Heidelberg-based Altech Advanced Materials AG (ISIN: DE000A2LQUJ6) ("AAM") is an investment company listed in Frankfurt. The company's objective is to participate in the market for lithium-ion batteries and thus in the rapidly growing sector of electromobility as well as in the expected market development for the other applications of high-purity alumina. To this end, Altech Advanced Material AG has acquired a 25% stake in Altech Industries Germany, Dresden, ("AIG"), where a factory for the production of coating material for anode batteries is to be built together with the partner Altech Chemicals Limited, Australia ("ATC"). A feasibility study is currently underway. AIG holds the exclusive rights to use the coating technology for anode materials and the rights to the high purity alumina ("HPA") production technology within the European Union from Altech Australia Pty Ltd, Australia. In addition, AAM holds an option to acquire up to a 49% interest in Altech Australia Pty Ltd, Australia ("Altech") for up to $100 million. Currently, Altech is a wholly owned subsidiary of ATC. Altech owns the IP rights to the HPA technology as well as being the wholly owned parent company of Altech Chemicals Sn Bd, Malaysia, through which a 4,500-ton HPA plant is to be built in Johor, Malaysia, and Altech Meckering Pty Ltd, Australia, the company that holds the rights to the kaolin mine from which the raw material for HPA production is sourced.

For more information, visit:www.altechadvancedmaterials.com

presse contact

Ralf Droz / Doron Kaufmann, edicto GmbH
Tel: +49 (0) 69 905505-54
E-Mail: AltechAdvancedMaterials@edicto.de

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Emitter:	Altech Advanced Materials AG Ziegelhäuser Landstraße 3 69120 Heidelberg Germany
Contact Person:	Hansjörg Plaggemars
Phone:	+49 6221 64924-82
E-Mail:	info@altechadvancedmaterials.com
Website:	www.altechadvancedmaterials.com
ISIN(s):	DE000A2LQUJ6 (Share)
Stock Exchange(s):	Regulated Market in Frankfurt; Free Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf