HiPurA®
ChemX Materials is reimagining the way in which high purity alumina (HPA) is produced.
Its 100% owned, Australian patented HiPurA® processing technology offers a new, low cost and less energy intensive production method to produce high purity alumina (HPA).
Micro plant test work has confirmed that HiPurA® can produce above 4N (99.99%) pure HPA. It has also confirmed that HiPurA® is superior compared to alternative technologies, offering several advantages, including:
Testwork at laboratory and micro plant scale complete demonstrating HiPurA® can produce above 4N (99.99%) pure, high purity alumina (HPA).
Currently under construction with early-stage commissioning commenced in June 2024.
Feasibility to be completed to identify commercial opportunities including construction of a commercial plant to produce high purity alumina and/or licencing of technology to end users.
In January 2024, ChemX Materials was granted an Australian Patent for its innovative HiPurA® technology. The patent is important as it provides intellectual property protection as ChemX Materials seeks to commercialise its technology globally.
ChemX Materials has applied for patents in several other international jurisdictions and based on the Australian Patent being granted, it expects these jurisdictions to follow suit in time to come.
Following the technical success of the micro plant, ChemX Materials is constructing a 24tpa pilot plant in Western Australia. The pilot plant has commenced early-stage commissioning in June 2024.
HPA production from the pilot plant will be used for customer qualification and marketing purposes. ChemX Materials is actively pursuing commercial opportunities globally.
Commercialisation options include:
Innovative processing method to supply HPA to the lithium-ion battery, LED and semiconductor industries globally
Likely revenue streams:
South Korea
Japan
USA
HPA Applications
HPA is high in purity and therefore high in value. It is known for its inert chemical stability and hardness, and good thermal conductivity, yet high electrical insulative properties.
These characteristics make it a highly sought after product for use in lithium-ion batteries, LED lighting and advanced electronics such as iPhones, smartwatches, screens and semiconductors.
HPA market growth is driven by consumer demand for advanced electronics and clean energy technologies. This has seen year-on-year growth in the HPA market worldwide. This growth is expected to continue in line with global trends for technology that is more energy efficient, less carbon intensive, portable and better connected.
High purity alumina (HPA) is high in purity and therefore high in value. High purity alumina (HPA) is alumina with a purity level of above 99.99%. High purity alumina (HPA) differs from more common alumina products. Unlike common (smelter-grade) alumina, high purity is a product intended for non-metallurgical markets and its value and use is dependent on its purity.
As a refined form of aluminum oxide, its superior purity makes it useful in products that require high performance and unfaltering reliability at extreme temperatures such as rechargeable batteries.
High purity alumina (HPA) is classified into 4N, 5N, 6N purity level. Each level is classified by the number of nines in its purity.
| Level | Percentage | Total impurities |
|---|---|---|
| 4N | 99.99% | Less than 100ppm total impurities |
| 5N | 99.999% | Less than 10ppm total impurities |
| 6N | 99.9999% | 1ppm of total impurities |
Separators play a vital role in lithium-ion battery performance and safety.
In lithium-ion battery technology, energy is passed through the anode and cathode. To prevent contact between the anode and the cathode, a separator is used.
Separating the two electrodes is important to ensuring that the battery does not short circuit, fail or in extreme cases catch on fire. High purity alumina (HPA) improves the battery’s performance, safety and reliability.
Separators need to be:
High purity alumina (HPA) provides all these unique properties to the lithium-ion battery technology.
Synthetic sapphire is a hard, transparent material made by crystallising high purity alumina (HPA) at an extremely high temperature. It is one of the hardest materials, second only to diamond. There is no substitute for synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is extremely durable, scratch resistant and has excellent light transmissivity.
These properties make synthetic sapphire an excellent material for use in:
High purity alumina (HPA) is used in the production of sapphire substrates for LED lighting. Sapphire substrates are thin, flat pieces of sapphire crystal and serve as the foundation for the growth of semi-conductor materials such as gallium nitride (GaN). Used in LEDs, gallium nitride layers produce light. LEDs are in demand as the world continues to transition away from energy-intensive incandescent lighting to modern energy-efficient lighting.
Ultra-small, bright, and energy-efficient lighting sources used in high tech applications such as smart-watches, and other compact high resolution displays. The small size, high energy efficiency and light weight of gallium nitride enables the production of mini-LEDs with the sapphire substrate serving as the foundation.
High purity alumina (HPA) is used to make synthetic sapphire glass for smart watches and phones. Its hardness, superior scratch resistance, and flawless transparency provide the unique properties needed for these applications that continue to grow in demand.
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