Utilizing its UniMelt production system technology, company is at the forefront of domestic battery supply for a green future.

Continuing to push the boundaries of sustainable production of critical materials for lithium-ion batteries, 6K Energy LLC announced their cathode active material (CAM) will meet stringent United States government mandates for compliance outlined by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the innovative company aims to be the first to meet such compliance for both lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) and nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) materials.

Standing at the forefront of sustainable materials production, 6K Energy is just one of the many subsidiaries beneath the banner of 6K Inc.

6K Inc.

6K's proprietary UniMelt system is a production-scale microwave plasma process that produces advanced materials used in additive manufacturing, battery material, and other industrial markets with a process that is fast and environmentally friendly.

6K Inc.'s proprietary microwave plasma technology, UniMelt, is being used for localized production of critical materials for various market sectors. This includes critical metals for additive manufacturing through its 6K Additive division, battery materials through 6K Energy, and emerging sectors through 6K Next.

6K was awarded a five-year blanket purchase agreement from the United States Army last September and received $23.4 million in funding to expand its refining capabilities for defense and commercial supply chains from the Department of Defense in January.

Already demonstrating market-leading performance with over 30 partners in the lithium-ion ecosystem, including major automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), battery cell producers, and other battery material manufacturers, 6K Energy's NMC811 (eight parts nickel, one part manganese, and one part cobalt) single crystal CAM delivers high capacity with excellent rate performance while exceeding electric vehicle cycle-life requirements.

Not just for the additive manufacturing space, 6K's UniMelt is a production system that is able to deliver several aspects of lithium-ion materials, including NMC, LFP, lithium salts, and alkaline battery CAM, with strong specification performance meeting or exceeding industry requirements.

Already, 6K Energy's LFP CAM achieves over 160 milliamperes per gram capacity with exceptional efficiency, trending to greater 6,000 cycles while maintaining roughly 80% capacity, which is ideal for energy storage system applications.

6K says its Battery Center of Excellence is capable of producing tons of material annually using processes that the company aims to deploy at its PlusCAM plant in Jackson, Tennessee, which is slated for standard operations by mid-2025.

The company states that the multi-chemistry facility will offer single crystal NMC811 and two LFP variants: a direct replacement of LFP made in China today and a new spherical option offering benefits for electrode construction, especially for delivery of powder when utilizing a dry coating method.

"During the past year, we've witnessed a transformation in the battery industry like never before. Targets for domestic production of batteries and battery material were once just aspirational goals and are now being mandated by the government with the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act," said 6K Energy President Sam Trinch. "While the industry is now scrambling to meet this new material production requirement for critical lithium-ion batteries, 6K Energy is already well aligned to provide the industry with LFP and NMC materials that can not only meet these new IRA requirements – but truly change the way companies approach sustainable material production by shifting from less efficient and less sustainable materials currently being produced in China."