Albemarle Corporation and 6K Inc. announced that they have signed a joint development agreement (JDA) to explore the use of 6K's patented UniMelt® advanced, sustainable materials production platform to develop novel lithium battery materials through potentially disruptive manufacturing processes. At the same time, 6K's UniMelt platform promises benefits for sustainable manufacturing. For instance, if a conventional 16-GWh battery cathode production plant was converted to 6K's UniMelt platform, it would reduce CO2 emissions by 70% (equal to 10M trees per year); lower water consumption by 90% (6.3M barrels per year) and reduce wastewater production by 100% (7M barrels per year) while requiring a 50% smaller factory footprint.