HPA
Crystal clear purity
A premium non-metallurgical alumina product characterisied by its very high purity level, HPA (High Purity Alumina) properties include corrosion and scratch resistance, high brightness and its ability to withstand extreme temperatures. It plays a critical role in creating synthetic sapphire crystals used in LED lights, semi-conductors, watch faces, smartphones and applications for lithium-ion batteries such as in the ceramic cathodic separators and within the cathode chemistries, into the future.
The chemistry
HPA is a processed premium non-metallurgical alumina product characterised by its very high purity level. It is a crystalline white powder of almost entirely pure aluminium oxide, Al2O3 (Alumina).
HPA is generally defined by its level of purity, which is >99.99% pure, known as ‘4N’, or >99.999% pure, known as ‘5N’.
Alumina is valued for its excellent properties in a number of areas: chemical stability, very high melting point; high mechanical strength and hardness (especially as sapphire); and good thermal conductivity but high electrical insulation.
The opportunities
HPA is generally sold in either a powder or pellet form, depending upon the end-use. The largest use today of HPA by volume is in the manufacture of synthetic sapphire, used as a substrate in LED production and for which there is no substitute for HPA. HPA also has growing demand in the lithium-ion battery sector, where HPA is used as a coating on the separator sheets between the cathode and anode and has the potential for evolving cathode active materials, such as NCA and NCMA chemistries. Smaller markets exist around artificial gemstones and special space, aeronautical and medical applications.
Global demand for 4N HPA specifically is estimated to increase by 19.1% CAGR from 22kt in 2020 to 90kt in 2028.