Iondrive Ltd (ASX:ION) CEO Dr Ebbe Dommisse sits down with Proactive’s Tylah Tully to discuss promising results from the latest tests on lithium-ion battery recycling.
The tests recovered 100% of nickel and 89-98% of other critical metals, including cobalt, manganese and lithium, using black mass from spent batteries.
These results were achieved through a three-stage pre-treatment process that removes impurities such as PVDF polymers, graphite and ferrous iron.
Iondrive expects even higher lithium recovery rates, potentially reaching 100%, with further refinement of solvent concentrations.
A pre-feasibility study (PFS) is expected to be completed by the end of October 2024, after which the company will move toward developing a pilot plant.
Dommisse described the results as a significant breakthrough, especially given that lower-quality raw materials were used.
The company's Deep Eutectic Solvents process, a non-toxic, environmentally friendly alternative to mineral acid leaching, continues to demonstrate high recovery efficiency even at scale.