TMR is a break from traditional recycling methods, which are themselves derived from old mining processes. There are a few ways to recycle end-of-life EV batteries and production scrap, and a handful of well-funded companies are vying for leadership in this relatively new market. We often read about the varying degrees of metal recovery, the innovation, and the pedigree of their principles.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of articles explain how solving waste and end-of-life battery recycling can make for a profitable and cleaner EV supply chain. We indeed share this vision but are left with questions about how these companies will address recycling cleanly while preserving maximum value at minimum cost, especially when all environmental costs are fully priced. How much innovation is possible when discussing hydro and pyrometallurgy?<\/p>\n

The EV supply chain is in the very early stages, and no one can solve our most significant problems with the toolkit currently available to the leading contenders. Typical media stories do not ask meaningful questions about where we are and where we need to be to succeed as an industry. In order to further the supply chain, they must be addressed.<\/p>\n

Media articles typically teach us that batteries are first shredded into black mass and that, from this black mass, valuable metals are extracted, often with success rates at anywhere from 90-95%. But what is in black mass?<\/p>\n

Electrolytes make up approximately 20% of black mass. They are not metals, though they can contain small amounts of lithium. Electrolytes are, however, toxic and dangerous to dispose of. So what happens to them in the battery recycling process? Are they recycled at all? That will depend on the method of recycling deployed. As these essential electrolytes cannot be recycled at high temperatures (pyrometallurgical approaches) or with concentrated acids (hydrometallurgical approaches), an entirely new electrolyte removal step must be somehow developed and bolted on to the front, adding complexity and cost to an already complex and expensive procedure. Where is this electrolyte removal process?<\/p>\n

Black mass also contains a large amount of graphite. Not just run-of-the-mill graphite but highly processed, high-value, battery-grade graphite. What happens to it? Is it recycled? In some cases, it is burned, and what is lost is counted as recycled as it heads out the exhaust. It can also be turned into low-grade carbon black. How much of it is lost, though, not merely downcycled? We do not know the actual numbers there, but we know there is a better way. Why destroy or downcycle this valuable resource? Estimates are that we need roughly 100 mines to produce enough graphite for future EV demand. There are currently around 20, and nowhere near the 80 potential new mining sites required. Preserving this graphite is essential.<\/p>\n

Extensive research has gone into Froth Flotation to recover graphite. However, as another traditional mining technique, froth floatation struggles to reach the strict purity requirements for the materials used in modern battery manufacture. Yields are still poor and the remaining graphite adversely affects metal recovery.\u00a0 It also requires extensive pre-treatment and is difficult to scale at any cost.<\/p>\n

TMR is a novel battery recycling approach, and with graphite and other metals entirely separated in the first step, the value preserved is not only in recovered graphite but also in increased recovery yields of the metals. Economically this makes much sense; environmentally, it is essential.<\/p>\n

Electrolytes and carbon materials make up more than 50% of typical black mass, so why do battery recyclers talk about metal recovery exclusively? Metals are the most lucrative target for recycling in end-of-life cells, but the costs and shortages of graphite and the environmental challenges electrolytes pose are fundamental problems to solve. From our point of view, destroying value here is unforgivable.<\/p>\n