Altech Chemicals Limited

Description

Altech Chemicals Limited (FRA: A3Y) is a vertically integrated high-purity alumina (HPA) producing company. The Company is dual listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) with the symbol ATC and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FRA) with symbol A3Y.

Altech owns a kaolin deposit at Meckering in Western Australia. ATC plans to mine kaolin, a clay mineral containing alumina, from its Australian operation and ship it to its processing plant at Johor in Malaysia. The HPA plant in Malaysia would have a nameplate capacity of 4,500t annually. ATC aims to become a world leader in supplying 99.99% (4N) HPA.

HPA is chemically known as Al₂O₃ and is a critical ingredient for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire finds its application in the manufacturing process of LED lights and semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry. Due to such wide applications, HPA has become a high-value, high-margin and high-demand material.

Altech has also established its in-house R&D lab in Perth, WA, to expedite the HPA battery materials coating technology. The Company has expanded its operations in HPA-coated battery technology to Germany. Altech, through its 75%-owned subsidiary Altech Industries Germany GmbH (AIG), looks after the R&D workshop established in Saxony, Germany. In addition, AIG has entered into a collaborative agreement with SGL Carbon GmbH to develop high purity alumina-coated graphite materials, which will be utilised by the lithium-ion battery industry.

Altech has also filed for a patent for its proprietary technology of coating anode active materials with alumina to IP Australia. The technology is believed to reduce the lithium losses occurring during each battery charge and discharge cycle.