Firebird Metals’ most recent manganese-iron phosphate (MFP) results have surpassed China’s industry standards, outlining further high-purity battery materials production and commercial endeavours for 2026.
Manganese-iron phosphate precursor cathode active materials, otherwise known as MFP PCAM, were developed by Firebird by leveraging its proprietary high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) solution before crystallisation.
In turn, this leads to lower raw material costs, the removal of the crystallisation step, improved process efficiency, and enhanced control over precursor quality.
During this process, more than 150 individual test batches were completed, producing roughly 200 kilograms of MFP PCAM.
Firebird’s chief executive officer Ron Mitchell said that achieving this level of performance improvement over China’s standards on different parameters is a “significant milestone” for the company.
“This is a strong validation of our proprietary battery materials production process,” Mitchell said.
“The results, supported by both internal and independent test work, give us the confidence that our MFP precursor can meet the demanding requirements of lithium manganese iron phosphate (LFMP) cathode producers.”
Using HPMSM directly in solution enables the company to have a more precise atomic-level manganese and iron ratio control during co-precipitation.
Firebird said that this results in “superior” MFP consistency and is more closely aligned with contemporary cathode-manufacturing requirements.
Mitchell added that with the amount of test batches completed, the material produced and 30 kilograms already in the hands of a potential downstream customer, Firebird is now focused on translating the “technical success” into commercial outcomes.
This development comes after earlier in March 2025, Firebird became the first Australian-owned company to produce LMFP batteries for electric vehicles.
From a commercialisation standpoint, the company said the process is readily scalable and more closely aligned with contemporary cathode-manufacturing requirements.
Its Australian demonstration plant will be the country’s first demonstration-scale facility capable of converting manganese ore into HPMSM, MFP, PCAM, and cathode active material, using patented and proprietary equipment and processing techniques.
Firebird said successful demonstration plant validation will enable it to build local capability in HPMSM precursor and cathode active material production while supporting customer-specific research and development, as well as de-risk the pathway to a commercial-scale manganese battery-materials facility in Australia.
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