The economic cold war between the United States and China appears to be continuing, with China reportedly set to halt exports of a material called a “sorbent,” which is typically used to absorb liquids and gases from raw materials.
According to a Reuters report, Jiangsu Jiuwu Hi-Tech, a Chinese company that produces this sorbent material, has issued a statement to its overseas customers, particularly in the United States, that it will stop producing the sorbent filters starting this month, typically used to filter lithium when it is mined.
This follows a statement made by the Chinese government earlier to restrict the export of materials and equipment needed to produce lithium batteries, especially for use with electric vehicles.
The Chinese government has not yet decided whether to make this restriction official or not, but another sorbent manufacturer, Sunresin New Materials, is also reportedly in talks with the government on the issue.
It is likely that, similar to what the US government has done to its companies, China will introduce permits for the export of this component, and perhaps other components in the future.
There are also companies in the US and other locations that produce this sorbent component, but only a few of them have filter components that are effective enough to filter lithium for use in a battery.
Companies such as TechMet, which also produces this sorbent, say that the method and technology used to produce a product that can filter materials such as lithium are “secrets” held by Chinese companies, and not many other companies have this capability.
Australia-based Vulcan Energy Resources is one of these companies, and they are seen to be testing the capabilities of their sorbent, which will be tested in Germany, and it is also reported that there are many lithium producers who want to use their services.