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News from Abroad                                                                                                                                                                  News from Abroad


       CONSOLIDATION                                                                                                 technology that can produce up to 3.5-tpa
       Arcadium Lithium shareholders approve $6.7-bn                                                                 of  gallium.  The  Government  of
                                                                                                                     Quebec  has  committed  up  to  C$7-mn
       Rio Tinto deal                                                                                                for  the  demonstration  phase.  Eventu-
                                                                                                                     ally, the extraction potential of a com-
                                                                                                                     mercial-scale plant could reach 40-tpa,
          Arcadium Lithium said about 98% of                                                                         representing  5-10%  of  current  world
       its shareholders have voted in favour of                                                                      gallium production.
       a $6.7-bn sale to mining giant Rio Tinto.
                                                                                                                        Primary  gallium  is  used  in  key
          Approval  from  government  regula-                                                                        sectors,  including  the  manufacture  of
       tors  in  fi ve  countries,  including  China                                                                  integrated  circuits,  which  are  of  vital
       and Australia, is now required to fi nalise                                                                    importance in many new technologies
       the merger. The deal, expected to close in                                                                    such as high-performance radar, smart-
       mid-2025, will catapult Rio Tinto to the                                                                      phones, electric cars and laptops.
       world’s third-largest lithium miner posi-
       tion, just behind Albemarle and SQM.                                                                             In  addition  to  aluminium,  copper,
                                                                                                                     iron ore and titanium dioxide, Rio Tin-
          Arcadium is facing legal hurdles, as                                                                       to  already  produces  a  wide  range  of  aluminium  alloys,  tellurium  for  solar  initiatives  are  ongoing  to  evaluate  the
       some  shareholders  have  fi led  lawsuits                                                                     critical minerals in its North American  panels  and  molybdenum  for  steel  possibility  of  extracting  new  materials
       against  it  alleging  misrepresentation,                                                                     facilities,  including  scandium  used  in  alloys. Other research and development  from the company’s existing operations.
       concealment  and  negligence  regarding
       the takeover deal, the company revealed  (EVs), especially in Europe and the US,  slow that they did not expect to pay a   GC, Econic, and Allnex to jointly explore advanced
       in a regulatory fi ling earlier in December  has impacted the battery metals market.  dividend next year.
       2023.                             Since hitting a price peak of more than                                     polymer systems from captured carbon
                                         $8,000  a  tonne  two  years  ago,  lithium   IGO and Tianqi jointly own Tianqi
          Rio Tinto had said it would pay $5.85  hydroxide, a commonly traded form of the  Lithium Energy Australia (TLEA), which   Thailand’s  PTT  Global  Chemical   By  integrating  Econic’s   sion  resistance,  and  aesthetic
       per share in cash for Arcadium, nearly a  material, has fallen to less than $800 per  operates  a  metal  refi nery  at  Kwinana,   Public Company Ltd. (GC) has signed a  technologies,  GC  and  Allnex   properties,”  a  press  note  re-
       90% premium to the stock’s closing price  tonne. The fall has forced most Australian  near  Perth  in  Western  Australia.  The   Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  aim to reduce the environmen-  leased on the occasion said.
       on October 4.                     lithium mines to close or have operations  fi rst stage of the plant was recently shut   with Econic Technologies, a UK-based  tal footprint of their businesses
                                         suspended.  However,  Rio  Tinto’s  CEO  for  maintenance  and  debottlenecking   deep-tech  company  specialising  in  re-  and promote the development   “By  combining  our  re-
          The Australian miner will gain access  Mr. Jakob Stausholm has said he is un-  with the benefi ts of the work expected   newable  carbon  solutions,  and Allnex,  of  eco-friendly  polymer  pro-  newable  carbon  technology
       to Arcadium’s lithium mines, processing  concerned with the current low price for  to  be  felt  in  the  fi rst  quarter  of  next   a  leading  manufacturer  of  industrial  ducts.  “Econic’s  technologies   with  their  extensive  expertise
       facilities  and  deposits  in  Argentina,  lithium because it is a metal of the future.  year  though  that  could  be  delayed   coating  resins  and  additives. The  part-  can reduce the carbon footprint   in  coatings,  we  are  poised  to
       Australia, Canada and the US as well as                            because  of  the  tough  lithium  market.   ners will explore business and research  of some products by 30 percent   drive signifi cant advancements
       customers  including  Tesla,  BMW  and   In the latest sign of a market under  In a statement fi led with the Australia   opportunities to develop advanced poly-  or more. The technologies also have the  in polymer science that align with global
       General Motors.                   pressure, IGO, an Australian company  Stock Exchange, IGO said TLEA had     mer systems and processes for coatings  potential to improve the performance of  sustainability  goals,”  said  Mr.  Keith
                                         and Tianqi, a Chinese company, warned  experienced  a  build  of  inventory  at   made from captured carbon.  coatings by enhancing durability, corro-  Wiggins, CEO of Econic.
       Tough times for lithium           that sales from a jointly owned lithium  Kwinana, which is expected to continue
          Sluggish demand for electric vehicles  hydroxide  processing  plant  were  so  in the short term.          Mitsubishi Chemical set to raise synthetic silica

       CRITICAL MINERAL                                                                                              powder capacity
       Rio Tinto explores development of gallium extraction                                                             Japan’s  Mitsubishi  Chemical  Group  by its ultra-high purity, is employed as a  ingot  manufacturing  process,  to  prevent

       process in Canada                                                                                             (MCG  Group)  has  decided  to  increase  raw material for quartz crucibles used in  the inclusion of impurities that can signi-
                                                                                                                     its production capacity of synthetic silica  the  production  of  semiconductor  silicon  fi cantly degrade wafer quality. According
                                                                                                                     powder used in the semiconductor manu-  (ingots) and for high-purity quartz parts in  to MCG, its product boasts high competi-
          As part of a R&D programme, global  strategic mineral already present in the   When  the  preliminary  phase  of   facturing process at its Kyushu-Fukuoka  semiconductor manufacturing equipment.  tiveness  in  this  application  by  achieving
       mining  &  metals  giant,  Rio  Tinto,  is  bauxite  processed  in  its  alumina  refi -  technology development is conclusive,   plant in Japan. Operations are scheduled to      the  “world’s  highest  level  of  purity”  for
       assessing  the  potential  for  extracting  nery  in  Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean,  the  Rio Tinto plans to build a demonstra-  start in September 2028. The company’s   The surface of the quartz crucible must  sand-type  silica  using  manufacturing
       and  valorising  gallium,  a  critical  and  only one in Canada.   tion  plant  in  Saguenay  for  extraction   synthetic  silica  powder,  characterised  be extremely pure, particularly during the  technology perfected over many years.


       170                                                                    Chemical Weekly  January 7, 2025       Chemical Weekly  January 7, 2025                                                                171


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