Iondrive Ltd (ASX:ION) has achieved “breakthrough” results in a new study of its lithium-ion battery recycling process, transforming black mass from shredded spent batteries into recycled nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium.
The tests demonstrated high selective recovery rates for the four valuable critical minerals, even while using lower-quality raw black mass material.
The company used a simple three-stage pretreatment process to remove impurities, including polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymers, graphite and ferrous iron to achieve recoveries of 100% nickel, 98.6% cobalt, 98.4% manganese and 89.1% lithium.
ION says follow-on testing has shown potential for higher lithium recoveries, potentially up to 100%, with adjustments to the solvent concentrations used in the process.
Further, the company’s pre-feasibility study (PFS) is on track for completion at the end of October, after which ION’s attention will shift to developing a pilot plant.
Breakthrough in consistency and reliability
Iondrive CEO Dr Ebbe Dommisse said: “Our latest results are a major breakthrough for Iondrive.
“Achieving such high recovery rates from mixed Black Mass is a significant step forward.
“Compared to our previous trials, which used pristine material, these new results demonstrate the robustness of our process, even with lower-quality, mixed material.
“Looking ahead, we expect to work with more consistent, higher-grade material through partnerships, which will further improve the efficiency and reliability of our recycling technology.”
ION is developing its Deep Eutectic Solvents process using organic solvents in a non-toxic, closed-loop process.
Designed to be environmentally friendly, ION’s method avoids widely used toxic mineral acid leaching.
The company has already independently established the scalability of its technology, which maintains high critical mineral recoveries even at 1,700x scale-up when using pure precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM) excluding lithium.
These latest tests involved raw black mass, a lower-quality feedstock of mixed lithium-ion battery types, often considered the worst-case scenario for commercial feedstock.
Iondrive says the results demonstrate a major leap forward in the recovery of valuable minerals, even from lower-quality raw black mass.
The company thanked CSIRO’s Dr Warren Bruckard and Professor Bill Skinner from the University of South Australia for their invaluable contributions.
“A special thanks also to Iondrive’s technical team, including Jandre Nel and Mike Jureidini, with support from Dr Jingxiu Wang, Yanqiu Lyu and Dr Philip van Eyk from the University of Adelaide,” ION stated.
