Key points
- Our Mineral Processing program develops energy and resource-efficient innovations that reduce costs, minimise environmental impacts, and boost productivity across the minerals industry.
- Two flagship projects are advancing battery technology: a pilot plant for cathode precursor materials and innovative approaches to graphite purification for battery anodes. These are essential for the green energy transition.
- Meet two of our early career researchers helping to drive these innovations.
Around 100 researchers in our Mineral Processing program are developing technologies for a clean energy future, transforming Australia’s minerals into the foundation for a sustainable tomorrow.
The program aims to introduce energy and water-efficient innovations that reduce costs, increase productivity, and minimise environmental impacts across global mineral processing operations.
Within the program there are two projects that are shaping the future of Australian battery manufacturing. In one, our scientists have developed an innovative process for purifying graphite for battery anodes (one half of a battery) and are working with a company to potentially commercialise it. Another project is a pilot plant, which produces materials that can go on to become cathodes, which is the other half of a lithium-ion battery.
Batteries play a critical role in reducing reliance on fossil fuels, both for electric vehicles and to store energy produced by intermittent renewable sources.
We spoke with two early-career researchers helping drive these innovations to learn about their work and vision for the future of mineral processing.
Kate Moyes-Martin: engineering sustainable battery materials
What’s your current focus at CSIRO?
My work is primarily around lithium and graphite research, both essential components in battery production, and how we can improve both the sustainability and efficiency of their processing.
It’s been incredibly exciting to contribute to the successful scale-up of a graphite purification process developed here at CSIRO, with the potential to produce battery anode material at a commercial scale.
The chemical process involved is exciting. It significantly reduces the environmental impact and health risks compared to traditional methods. It is also a uniquely satisfying task to build a pilot plant. Evolving a process from the lab bench to an industrial scale reinforces how impactful our research can be in shaping a more sustainable industry.
How has your diverse background spanning aircraft maintenance and materials chemistry shaped your current research?
Having a varied career path has given me the ability to think critically across multiple disciplines, and the practical skills to build solutions.
My background in aircraft maintenance taught me the importance of problem-solving, precision and understanding complex systems. Combining this with my materials chemistry knowledge means I can approach challenges from both a scientific and engineering standpoint. This interdisciplinary experience is particularly valuable in pilot plant projects where I often need to balance the technical demands of chemistry with the practicalities of scaling processes for industrial applications.
What are the biggest challenges in developing processes for battery materials?
Finding a balance between efficiency and sustainability is vital.
The demand for battery materials is skyrocketing, driven by the adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy. If the methods for producing these materials contribute to environmental degradation or resource depletion, we're simply trading one problem for another.
Our challenge is to develop processes that can scale up to help meet global demand while also minimising energy consumption, reducing waste, and using less hazardous chemicals.
What area of your work do you find the most interesting?
I'm passionate about the intersection between materials science and sustainability.
Batteries are fascinating because they rely on a complex mix of materials working together in concert to achieve a greater purpose. It is beautiful chemistry.
I'd love to see a blossoming battery manufacturing industry here in Australia and all that goes with it (research, manufacturing and recycling). I want to help find solutions that create a sustainable and circular economy for battery materials in Australia.
Neda Ghaebipanah: pioneering battery precursor production
Tell us about your role in CSIRO's Mineral Processing program.
As a project scientist in the program, I help explore new ways to process critical minerals for advanced uses, while considering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors.
One focus of our program is on next-generation Australian made lithium-ion batteries. At CSIRO's Waterford site in Perth, we are conducting pilot scale research on both the anode and cathodes needed for next generation Australian made lithium-ion batteries.
My work is on the Cathode Precursor Production Pilot Plant (C4P) project Stage 3 – a collaboration with the Minerals Research Institute of WA (MRIWA) and Curtin University.
Precursor cathode active material (pCAM) goes through some additional steps to become the cathode, and when assembled with an anode, you get a battery. The quality of the pCAM can dictate battery performance and safety, so it’s important to meet high standards.
This pilot plant has been the largest and most sophisticated nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) pCAM production in the southern hemisphere. This is a vital step in establishing a local battery manufacturing industry. It develops next-generation battery materials and positions Australia as a leader in the global battery industry.
Tell us about your academic and industry experience leading into this role.
I completed my undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Materials Science and Engineering. Then, I worked at a refractory company linked with a steel-making corporation. Later, I earned my PhD in Engineering from the University of Western Australia.
I then joined Curtin University in a postdoctoral research role, where I was the technical lead in the second stage of the C4P project. It was a successful collaboration between CSIRO, the Future Battery Industry Cooperative Research Centre (FBI-CRC), Curtin University and 19 other partners from academia, government and industry. That stage of the project delivered a pCAM product that exceeded commercial performance expectations.
In my role now at CSIRO, I continue my work on pCAM in Stage 3 of the C4P project, where we focus on making the most of Australian resources to foster a budding sustainable battery sector.
How do you see critical minerals processing evolving in the coming years?
This field is set to evolve significantly over the next decade. These minerals are crucial in renewable energy generation, storage and electric vehicles, which are driving higher demand.
Sustainability is increasingly important, with a focus on recycling, waste reduction, and ESG criteria.
Advanced technologies like AI and automation will enhance efficiency, while geopolitical factors will encourage supply chain diversification and domestic investments.
Increased research funding will spur innovation, and stricter regulations, including the EU's new critical raw materials standards, will ensure ethical sourcing.