Apparently we need a new thread to discuss the closed loop (some...

Apparently we need a new thread to discuss the closed loop (some one should tell the other posters that it's off topic elsewhere).

So lets see if LIt has achieced this 'closed loop':
Step 1 of loop is raw materials. They don't produce any raw materials from mining despite about a decade of searching and tens of millions spent. Sileach and Liena might make lithium chemicals from other peoples raw materials, but dont make raw materials of their own. The Mixed Metal Dust (MMD) they make with recycling COULD be considered a raw material ("the basic material from which a product is made") if they could separate/refine it into a usable product. ATM they sell it to the SungEel Hitech who can make lithium chemicals from it. Presumably because they can't produce quality/cost-effective lithium chemicals from it, and make more money selling it to someone with better tech. So they produce a form of raw material (and failed to produce others), but it doesn't feed into any loop LIT own. At least not yet.

Step 2 is lithium chemicals. They can make lithium phosphate using Sileach, but have been unable to do so cost effectively and at scale (most recent pilot plant flopped). Liena is largely untested and it, along with sileach, hasnt really been mentioned in a few years now. Both seem to be inviable imo. With ANTSO, LIT once made chemicals for batteries, but have only done this in lab settings. No plans for a commercial scale of lithium chemical production from MMD, and have never done a PFS or anything. A long way off, certainly no loop here yet.

Step 3 is batteries. Well they've produced some small coin sized batteries using VSPC tech, but again haven't been able to commercialize this tech. And to be clear, producing a 'battery' for a test of viability, is far from what a commercial battery product would look like. They have never done a feasibility study, nor do they have any plans for a commercial production facility atm. The tech is also now very old, and frankly, outdated. They've also partnered with the chinese and formed Soluna to sell batteries as a middle man, so they own batteries for resale (no sign of a single sale yet). Of course they also buy dead batteries for recycling, so I guess they have batteries, but in terms of making batteries and participating in a loop, its a nope.

Step 4 is recycling. They can recycle batteries (when they're not burning them anyway). But only into MMD, which goes to South Korea, where a superior recycler, SungEel Hitech, produce battery ready lithium chemicals. So LIT help SungEel complete a loop, but aren't closing their own loop.

I hope one day LIT can form a closed loop, someone has to, but atm they are very far from it, despite years and millions spent on some elements of the loop. The most developed parts of the loop, they've bought (with SH dollars) and then never significantly progressed