Innovation & Alliances Shaping the Future of Battery Recycling

Imagine a world where the batteries powering your electric car or smartphone are not just discarded but given a new life, contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable future. This vision is becoming a reality thanks to innovative battery recycling methods and strategic partnerships. As global demand for batteries soars, the need for efficient recycling processes has never been more critical. This article explores how cutting-edge analytical techniques and collaborations are transforming battery recycling, ensuring that valuable materials are recovered and reused, reducing environmental impact, and supporting the transition to a greener economy.

Batteries are considered an integral part to the transition to cleaner energy and less carbon-intensive fuels. Consequently, countries across the globe have considered the battery economy when implementing new legislature, such as the EU Green Deal and the EU Batteries Regulation, to name a few. However, while these regulations offer appealing incentives to support companies in scaling production and investing in research, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that the demand for raw materials will outstrip supply by 30-40% by 2050.

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To prevent economic stagnation and address concerns related to battery disposal, the EU Batteries Regulation places significant emphasis on minimizing raw material usage and promoting recycling. Companies selling batteries in the EU will be required to demonstrate that they have made the necessary efforts to ensure the use of recycled materials.

Consequently, two main streams for battery recycling have emerged. The first is operators focused solely on producing black mass, which is sold to refiners for mineral extraction. The second are specialist outfits covering all stages of battery recycling with an integrated facility to handle both black mass creation and critical mineral extraction. The latter model can be especially advantageous as it reduces overheads associated with the correct classification, transportation, and exportation of black mass as a hazardous waste. It also ensures that critical minerals can be directly funneled back into the local battery value chain, closing the loop between battery end-of-life and manufacturing.

Balancing opportunity with constraints

With an estimated 11-30 million tons of lithium-ion batteries reaching their end of life by 2030, a waste crisis looms. In response, several recycling start-ups have emerged as market leaders. Leveraging the growing demand for battery recycling, these companies have strategically partnered with government agencies and electric vehicle (EV) entities, rapidly expanding local operations while scaling their business across multiple locations.

Battery recycling is also a highly profitable industry. Experts suggest that a closed-loop system can recover up to 95% of the chemicals and minerals used in battery production, while also reducing overhead costs and infrastructure needs compared to traditional mining and refining. Despite these opportunities, battery recycling faces several challenges. The process generates unique wastes, such as sodium and ammonium sulfates, which can be difficult to manage. Additionally, recycling processes must handle feedstocks from various sources and often rely on conventional bulk hydrometallurgical methods to recover lithium, which is lost in pyrometallurgical techniques. These chemical extraction methods are often not fully optimized to minimize costs and maximize yields.

Purity matters

In addition to improving yields, the profitability of recyclers who produce high-grade materials depends on the purity of the end product. While there are no official standards for elemental impurities in battery materials, industry leaders are setting high expectations. Currently, battery manufacturers aim for purity levels above 99.5%. Looking ahead, many industry leaders expect that purities of 99.999% or higher will be necessary to ensure optimal battery performance, reduce environmental impact, and enhance safety. This ambitious goal presents a significant challenge for recyclers but also drives innovation and progress in the field.

Four critical analytical touchpoints are necessary to achieve the requisite purity levels during the recycling process. The first involves sorting feedstocks and analyzing them for contaminants that could jeopardize safety, processing machinery, and end-product quality. Executing this step well can alleviate downstream burdens, reducing the number of extraction steps, consumables consumption, and waste production.

In the second step, the resulting black mass must undergo analysis for both impurities and the desired elemental components before further refining. This is especially important in regions such as China, where the black mass price closely correlates with the battery-grade mineral prices. The third step involves monitoring the chemicals and solvents used in extraction. This ensures they do not introduce undesirable contaminants and maintain consistent performance over time. Finally, the refined recycled battery minerals require thorough analysis, as this ultimately determines their selling price.

Other crucial process outcomes that require ongoing monitoring and measurement include the analysis of by-products, waste, and emissions generated during the recycling process. To ensure sustainable, circular, and safe practices, these waste streams must be assessed for hazardous elemental and molecular compounds and remedial actions taken before reuse or disposal.

The importance of analytical testing

To conduct analytical testing at different stages of the battery recycling value chain, several key technologies are essential. These include atomic and molecular spectroscopy, chromatography, and mass spectrometry.

While some battery recyclers outsource these analyses to third-party laboratories, downtime or yield issues in a battery recycling facility can generate costs amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour. For this reason, many have chosen to insource their analysis to ensure:

American Battery Technology Company employees load lithium-ion batteries for processing at its recycling plant in Nevada. ABTC

As battery recycling companies seek to expedite process improvements, it is evident that insourcing analytical techniques can be a critical strategy for gaining a competitive edge. Pioneering companies like ABTC offer a valuable blueprint for a structured approach. Their partnership with Agilent has significantly impacted their business practices and overall company outlook, contributing to the global drive toward sustainable battery solutions and a better world for future generations.

Recyclers who have opted to insource their analysis form partnerships with leading analytical instrument providers with the expertise necessary for swift laboratory implementation and overall analytical success. The services offered may encompass complete turnkey solutions for laboratories of various sizes, from small to enterprise-scale. These services include assistance with lab design, planning, sourcing, and execution, workflow development and optimization, staff training, data interpretation, troubleshooting, and maintenance. By forming strategic partnerships, recyclers can accelerate the transition from concept to analysis, ultimately enhancing the entire battery recycling ecosystem.

Partnering for growth and innovation

An example of such a partnership is the collaboration between the American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) and Agilent Technologies. ABTC is a pioneering force in battery recycling, specializing in sustainable sourcing methods for critical battery materials used in electric cars, grid storage systems, and consumer electronics. Their advanced lithium-ion battery recycling process prioritizes domestic sourcing. Agilent, meanwhile, has been a market leader in environmental analysis for over 40 years, providing deep industry insights, reliable analytical guidance, and effective end-to-end workflow solutions.

Collaboration between the two companies has enabled ABTC to enhance its lithium-ion battery recycling and extraction technologies and optimize its overall processes. One recent project involved ABTC scientists working with Agilent scientists to determine the elemental analysis of elements found in unrefined battery metal feedstocks from their lithium-ion battery recycling process. The collaboration helped ABTC improve the efficiency and yield of their recycling processes, achieve higher purity levels in recovered materials, and support their commitment to sustainability by reducing their environmental footprint.

Attaining a competitive edge

As battery recycling companies seek to expedite process improvements, it is evident that insourcing analytical techniques can be a critical strategy for gaining a competitive edge. Pioneering companies like ABTC offer a valuable blueprint for a structured approach. Their partnership with Agilent has significantly impacted their business practices and overall company outlook, contributing to the global drive toward sustainable battery solutions and a better world for future generations.

Note: Agilent Technologies will be exhibiting at The Battery Show North America at Huntington Place in Detroit, October 7 - 10, 2024.