Century Lithium Corp. (TSX-V:LCE, OTCQX:CYDVF) announced that lithium carbonate produced from its 100%-owned Angel Island lithium project in Nevada was successfully converted into lithium metal and incorporated into battery cells as part of a US Army-backed research program.
The company reported that Alpha-En Corp converted the lithium carbonate into high-purity lithium metal using its proprietary extraction and electrodeposition process.
The lithium metal was then incorporated into cylindrical battery cells manufactured by EaglePicher Technologies under the US Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which supports the development of technologies for national defense.
According to Century Lithium, the lithium metal anodes produced from Angel Island material met EaglePicher's performance specifications and were integrated into cylindrical cells for testing.
The company stated that initial discharge testing showed higher operating voltages and improved power performance compared with control cells, characteristics it noted are important for lightweight, high-energy and high-power battery systems used in defense applications.
"Alpha-En has done outstanding work converting lithium carbonate from Angel Island into high-purity lithium metal, which was then incorporated by EaglePicher in cells tested under the US Army SBIR program," Century Lithium CEO Bill Willoughby said.
"The results from this first phase program are important for Century Lithium and further highlight Angel Island as a quality domestic source of lithium."
Landon Oakes, Alpha-En’s chief technology officer, noted that the Army SBIR-supported project demonstrated that high-performance lithium metal anodes can be manufactured directly from US-sourced lithium resources.
He added that combining domestic raw materials with the company's extraction and electrodeposition technology supports a more integrated domestic supply chain for battery anodes.
Century Lithium said the project represents a step toward strengthening the US defense battery supply chain by linking domestic lithium resources with lithium metal manufacturing and battery cell production. The company added that the collaboration aligns with the US Army's objective of supporting critical mineral independence while advancing battery technologies for future defense systems.
Shares of Century Lithium added over 4% in Toronto on Wednesday morning.