Energy and battery materials
Iron powder from Rio Tinto can be used as a raw material for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Our powders are made into cathode precursors such as iron phosphate and iron nitrate. These materials are then made into a cathode such as lithium iron phosphate for use in batteries.
Our iron powder can also be used as raw material for various iron-flow battery types. Rio Tinto metal powder is used to form electrolytes such as iron chloride, iron sulphate, and iron organic that go into the manufacturing of stationary storage units.
Pure iron grades for battery applications
Iron powder
Our iron powders can be used as a sponge iron substitute:
- Customizable
- Particle size ranges 75-300 µm
- Annealed or unannealed
- High or low C and O2 contents
- Technical and product selection support
Steel powder
Our steel powders are used in atomized steels:
- Low C and O2 contents
- Custom alloys
Testing our materials in batteries
Rio Tinto’s new battery manufacturing and testing research laboratory at our existing Bundoora Technical Development Centre will improve our understanding of battery production, manufacturing, and chemistry. At this lab, our technical teams build our own batteries—allowing us to test how our material will perform in real-world applications, such as in an electric vehicle (EV) batteries.