Standard Lithium, in Partnership with Telescope Innovations, to Produce Next Generation Solid-State Battery Materials

­Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”), a leading near-commercial lithium company, is pleased to announce the successful production of battery quality lithium sulfide as part of a collaboration with Telescope Innovations.

As previously mentioned, Standard Lithium has been working with its research and development partner, Telescope Innovations, to develop new and novel conversion technologies to make next generation battery materials. This new conversion process has now been successfully used to convert lithium hydroxide produced by Standard Lithium at its southern Arkansas Demonstration Plant, into battery quality lithium sulfide (Li₂S). Samples of the lithium sulfide have been shipped to solid-state battery companies in Asia and North America for ongoing testing and validation purposes.

Standard Lithium’s President and COO, Dr. Andy Robinson commented “this development of new IP and technology with our research partner, Telescope Innovations, exemplifies our approach to becoming the leading new lithium company in North America. Whilst our principle area of focus, and capital allocation, is building the first DLE project in North America at our South West Arkansas Project Phase 1 with our joint venture partner Equinor, we understand that constant technological evolution is integral to staying at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry. This recent work led by Telescope demonstrates that we are able to take lithium chemicals produced from the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas, and then transform them into the feedstocks required by the next generation of batteries. Our partnership with Telescope Innovations continues to be a “win-win” for our shareholders and their’s.”

Lithium sulfide is a key raw material required for many next-generation solid-state battery chemistries, but despite the importance of lithium sulfide in the next generation of battery technology, it is only produced commercially in very small quantities and at very high cost. The technical collaboration between the two teams has resulted in a novel low-temperature patented process that has the following advantages:

• Feedstock flexibility – both lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate are viable inputs;
• Impurity tolerance – allows the use of technical-grade feedstocks;
• Lower processing temperatures (<100 °C) – reduces equipment complexity and operating costs; and,
• Enhanced safety in manufacturing – avoids high-temperature conditions and associated thermal risks.