Big benefits in new treatment for black mass

US university spin-off targets polyvinylidene fluoride in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries, offering a sustainable solution and greater efficiency in second life.

The use of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder in conventional battery manufacturing poses a big recycling challenge. The resilient compound demands exceedingly high temperatures, greater than 1 000°C, for reduction to its mineralised form.

In addition to posing challenges to recycling efficiency, PVDF and related fluoropolymers introduce unwanted fluorine impurities, particularly in low-temperature hydrothermal recycling methods.

Nanoramic is an energy storage innovator based in the US with a lab in Germany. It was spun out of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2009 and specialises in creating solutions based on nanotechnology.

Its ‘Neocarbonix’ electrode technology provides a solution to the PVDF problem by enabling batteries that are PVDF-free and therefore more recyclable. The innovation replaces PVDF with an electrically conductive carbon binding structure.

‘Our transformative technologies are not only more sustainable but also enable lower cost, faster charging, and higher-performing batteries,’ says ceo Eric Kish. ‘These advancements will encourage a larger shift to electric vehicles and therefore a greener future.’