Australia-based Locksley Resources has signed a strategic R&D agreement with Houston-based Rice University to develop domestic processing for antimony in the US.
The R&D agreement is focused on the firm’s Mojave project and similar projects, aiming to develop pathways for domestic processing of US-sourced antimony. This is to meet existing domestic demand in the US defence and other industries.
The aim of the project is also to advance the application of antimony in next generation energy storage systems.
The R&D agreement sets out a dual initiative with a focus on the development and testing of low energy solvent extraction processes for antimony ores and concentrates.
Following this, there will be research on antimony-based materials for energy storage including electrode materials and composite architectures for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, and super capacitators.
It will also look at hybrid power modules using antimony as a core component.
Nathan Lude, chairman, Locksley, said, “This strategic collaboration with Rice, formalised in our agreement, marks a pivotal step for Locksley and provides a first-mover advantage. We are both advancing our upstream strategy while helping rebuild downstream capacity through materials innovation that America urgently requires. Fast-tracking our two research Thrusts allows us to unlock value from our Mojave Asset and play a direct role in the US move to secure critical supply of antimony for its defence, energy and AI infrastructure sectors.”
Professor Pulickel M. Ajayan of the department of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University, said, “Developing scalable, domestic pathways for antimony processing is both a scientific and engineering challenge and a national strategic priority. By combining Rice’s expertise in advanced materials with Locksley’s resources, we can address a critical supply chain gap, accelerate commercialisation and build global collaborations that strengthen both US energy resilience and the future of sustainable technologies.”
Image: Mapping of the Mojave Project, which is a focus of the R&D agreement between Locksley and Rice University. Credit: Locksley Resources.
