Lithium-ion recycling first in Oklahoma

Lithium-ion recycling first in Oklahoma featured image

Green Li-ion has launched a commercial-scale installation to produce sustainable, battery grade materials, the first of its kind in North America.

The lithium-ion battery recycling technology company will produce cathode and anode materials from concentrated components of spent batteries using Green Li-ion’s patented ‘Green Hydrorejuvenation’ technology.

The conventional recycling process for spent lithium-ion batteries in North America includes sorting and shredding batteries which are then processed into black mass and sulphates. The material is then exported, typically to Asia, for further processing.

Green Li-ion’s technology utilises an advanced hydrometallurgical approach that directly converts recycling scrap into battery grade precursor cathode active material (pCAM) without being exported for further processing.

Green Li-ion’s process reduces production time, yielding pCAM in 12 hours. It also emits up to 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than processes using virgin materials.

Quadrupling capacity

The company says its installation, at Atoka, Oklahoma, is the first plant in North America capable of processing unsorted black mass of different Li-ion battery chemistries into pCAM at commercial scale with 99% purity.

It is expected to create two tonnes of pCAM at battery grade per day, with plans to quadruple this capacity within the coming year.

‘Green Li-ion’s installation closes a critical gap in the North American battery recycling supply chain,’ says Leon Farrant, ceo and co-founder of Green Li-ion.

‘We aim to show American companies the benefits of a customisable and fully vertically integrated battery recycling solution when operating as part of an existing manufacturing process.’

Singapore-based Green Li-ion offers flexible options for manufacturers and recyclers to utilise its technology, either through a licensing agreement or a tolling agreement whereby they send their black mass to Green Li-ion for processing directly into battery materials.

Future glimpse

‘Our plant in Atoka Is a glimpse into the future of the battery recycling industry in North America,’ adds Stephen Hayward, vp of operations at Green Li-ion.

‘The Inflation Reduction Act and business-friendly policies in Oklahoma have spurred innovation and the state is proving to be the centre of the re-growing manufacturing industry in the US.’

The company has also developed technology to process lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to extract battery grade iron phosphate plus lithium and graphite.

It expects LFP batteries to outgrow other battery chemistries and represent a significant portion of the market by the next decade.

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