Arcadium Lithium plc was a

specialty chemicals Specialty chemicals (also called specialties or effect chemicals) are particular chemical products that provide a wide variety of effects on which many other industry sectors rely. Some of the categories of speciality chemicals are adhesives, agr ...

manufacturing company focused on lithium production. It was formed in January 2024 from the merger of Livent, an American special chemicals company, and Allkem, an Australian lithium mining company. The new company, Arcadium Lithium, became the world's third-largest lithium producer. It was cross-listed in both the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

and the

Australian Securities Exchange Australian Securities Exchange Ltd (ASX) is an Australian public company that operates Australia's primary Exchange (organized market), securities exchange, the Australian Securities Exchange (sometimes referred to outside of Australia as, or c ...

. In 2025, Rio Tinto completed its purchase of Arcadium Lithium for $6.7 billion, turning it into its lithium unit, Rio Tinto Lithium.

History

Arcadium Lithium plc was created in January 2024 with the merger of Livent and Allkem. Livent's origins traced back to 1944, when the Lithium Corporation of America was created. In May 1985, it was acquired by the

FMC Corporation FMC Corporation is an American chemical manufacturing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which originated as an insecticide producer in 1883 and later diversified into other industries. In 1941 at the beginning of US involvemen ...

. Livent was created in 2018, when FMC spun off its lithium division. Allkem was originally known as Orocobre Limited, and was listed on the

in December 2007. After merging with Galaxy Resources in 2021, Orocobre was rebranded as Allkem. In September 2024, Arcadium announced it would place its Mt Cattlin mine into

care and maintenance Care and maintenance is a term used in the mining industry to describe processes and conditions on a closed mine site at which there is the potential to recommence operations at a later date. During the care and maintenance phase, production is st ...

by mid-2025 due to low

spodumene Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium inosilicate, Li Al( Si O3)2, and is a commercially important source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), or alternatively yellow ...

prices. In August, Arcadium acquired Li-Metal Corp's lithium metal production business for US$11 million, gaining its intellectual property on refining lithium carbonate and a pilot lithium refinery. On October 9, 2024, Rio Tinto agreed to buy Arcadium for US$6.7 billion, in an all-cash deal for US$5.85 per each Arcadium Lithium share. The deal was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. The deal was completed on March 6, 2025, with Arcadium Lithium becoming Rio Tinto's lithium unit, called Rio Tinto Lithium.

References

External links

* {{Finance links historical , name = Arcadium Lithium plc , symbol = ALTM , sec_cik = 1977303 , yahoo = ALTM , google = ALTM:NYSE Chemical companies Companies formerly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange Former cross-listed companies Lithium Rio Tinto (corporation) subsidiaries 2024 establishments in New York (state) 2025 disestablishments in New York (state) 2025 mergers and acquisitions