American Manganese Inc reports good test results from a recent attempt to produce improved lithium ion battery materials from manganese ore. The company is involved in expanding the company's patent pending hydrometallurgical manganese recovery process to produce improved manganese dioxide product for use in rechargeable lithium ion batteries. Recent laboratory tests have produced improved electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) and chemical manganese dioxide (CMD) products of high quality. Samples of the EMD and CMD were analysed by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) for cation impurities. Metallic impurities, not to be confused with metal oxide or salt impurities, in the parts per billion level are known to cause a number of batteries to experience thermal run-away in rechargeable lithium ion batteries, leading to explosions and fires in some cases. “These initial results are very encouraging [and] provides a significant opportunity for the production of a high value product for use in rechargeable lithium ion batteries and represents another market with very high growth potential,” said Larry Reaugh, CEO of American Manganese. “While the company's primary focus is electrolytic manganese metal (EMM), we are going to aggressively pursue the on-going research programme that is required to fully develop this extremely attractive potential opportunity.”