“The demand for battery minerals is increasing sharply with the ongoing transition to clean energy sources. For example, an electric car battery weighs approximately 200 kilos and is made of several metals. To cater for this demand, the world will need to produce more minerals and metals, but we also need to strive to close the loop and extend the life cycle of these valuable materials through efficient recycling. With Metso’s technology, the critical metals can be sustainably extracted from black mass and re-used in new battery production or in other applications. Recycling of black mass from batteries with Metso’s process can reduce up to 60% of embedded carbon compared to use of virgin materials,” explains Don Simola, Director, Battery Chemicals Technology at Metso.
Metso’s hydrometallurgical black mass recycling process enables the treatment of mechanically separated and shredded batteries for recovering battery raw materials like nickel, cobalt, and lithium, as well as manganese and copper. The process is based on Metso’s proprietary VSF X Solvent extraction technology and complemented with OKTOP reactors, Larox PF filters, Dual Media (DM) and LSF filters, and thickeners and scrubbers. Many of these technologies are part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering. The process flowsheet can be tailored according to feed materials and desired end products, with a possible phased approach for adding equipment also for the recovery of less valuable materials.
