The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $62 million for projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to increase consumer participation in consumer electronics battery recycling and improve the economics of battery recycling. With demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and stationary energy storage projected to expand the lithium battery market... Read more →

Cyclic Materials, an advanced metals recycling company building a circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical metals, is partnering with VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC), a leading developer of magnetic materials and solutions. The companies have signed an agreement ensuring that by-products containing critical materials used in high-performance permanent magnets... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $750 million in funding for 52 projects across 24 states to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen selected and reinforce American leadership in the growing hydrogen industry. (Earlier post.) Among the recipients, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) was selected to... Read more →

Solvay and Carester signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a strategic partnership aimed at leveraging the expertise of both companies to pursue manufacturing opportunities within the rare earth industry for the permanent magnets value chain in Europe. The collaboration will enable both companies to enhance their respective strengths... Read more →

Heavy investment from the private sector and the US government has led to plans for battery recycling outpacing demand. According to new research from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, US Electric Vehicle (EV) battery recycling plants plan to have the capacity to recycle 1.3 million EV-equivalents of batteries annually,... Read more →

American Resources Corporation’s wholly owned subsidiary, ReElement Technologies Corporation,a provider of high-performance refining capacity of rare earth and critical battery elements, announced a partnership with EDP Renewables North America to advance sustainable practices in the wind energy sector through the EDPR NA’s newly launched Close the Loop Program. The focus... Read more →

Li-Cycle Holdings entered into an agreement to issue a senior secured convertible note in an aggregate principal amount of $75 million to an affiliate of Glencore, a leading producer, recycler, and marketer of nickel and cobalt for the production of lithium-ion batteries. This financing enhances Li-Cycle and Glencore’s existing long-term,... Read more →

Kraiburg TPE recently released a new range of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) products that contain at least 73% recycled content. The new Recycling Content TPE for Automotive series has been designed to fulfill a variety of technical applications. Kraiburg TPE also announced an agreement with Tessi Supply, which will use the... Read more →

USA Rare Earth, LLC, a vertically integrated magnet technology company (earlier post), announced that it signed a supply agreement with American Resources Corporation’s ReElement Technologies Corporation (ReElement). Through this agreement, ReElement will supply high-purity rare earth oxides (REOs) to USARE for use at the company’s metal and magnet manufacturing facility... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Electronics Scrap Recycling Advancement Prize (E-SCRAP), which will award up to $4 million to competitors to increase substantially the production and use of critical materials recovered from electronic scrap (e-scrap). E-scrap—which includes mobile phones, home appliances, medical or office equipment, and anything... Read more →

24M announced its latest innovation in the 24M battery technology set: Liforever. Unique to the 24M SemiSolid battery manufacturing platform, Liforever is a direct material recycling methodology for EV and ESS batteries. Liforever reduces the environmental impact of lithium-ion batteries by making it efficient and cost-effective to recover and reuse... Read more →

Altilium will work with Nissan on a project to improve the sustainability of EV batteries manufactured in the UK, using advanced recycling technologies to lower the carbon footprint of new batteries and reduce reliance on imported raw materials. The work is part of a £30-million collaborative project announced by the... Read more →

Researchers in Rice University’s Tour Lab have used flash Joule Heating (earlier post) to transform waste glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) into silicon carbide. A paper on the work is publishedin the journal Nature Sustainability. Glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) is widely used in everything from aircraft parts to windmill blades. Yet... Read more →

Cyclic Materials, an advanced metals recycling company building a circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical metals, has expanded its operations to accept two new feedstock streams: wind turbine generators and MRI machines. Through its strong partnership network, Cyclic has already sourced 37 MW capacity of wind... Read more →

Constellium SE is leading a new R&D initiative called “Close the Loop” in partnership with an ecosystem of recycling companies in France, including INDRA (automotive recycling), GALLOO (metal recycling) and MTB RECYCLING (metal shredding & sorting). Funded in part by the French Environmental Agency ADEME under the France 2030 program,... Read more →

Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Ltd. (VWG UK) has signed an agreement with Ecobat to collect and recycle electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Ecobat has a relationship with VWG UK dating back to 2014 when it started collecting lead acid batteries for TPS, the Volkswagen Group Genuine Parts provider to the independent... Read more →

In an open-access paper in the journal ChemSusChem, a team at Penn State reports using cold sintering to reprocess solid-state composite electrolytes—specifically Mg- and Sr-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 with polypropylene carbonate (PPC) and lithium perchlorate (LLZO–PPC–LiClO4). The low sintering temperature allows co-sintering of ceramics, polymers and lithium salts, leading to re-densification of... Read more →

Researchers at McGill University have developed a sustainable and cost-effective neodymium (Nd) extraction technology from electronic waste using a carboxylate functionalized nanocellulose (CFNC). An open-access paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Green Chemistry. We demonstrate a solution-processed synthesis of CFNC from a cost-effective, readily available cellulose... Read more →

In a follow up to one of last year’s largest cleantech private equity placements, Ascend Elements raised $162 million in new equity investments. Major investors include Just Climate, Clearvision Ventures, and IRONGREY. The new equity financing brings the company’s 12-month funding total to $704 million, including the $542 million funding... Read more →

SQM Lithium Ventures announced a follow-on investment of US$9.43 million in Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group focused on supporting the energy transition to net zero (earlier post), bringing Altilium’s total investment to US$12 million. The investment completes Altilium’s Series A funding round and marks the largest investment to date... Read more →

A team from the Beijing University of Chemical Technology has used a formic acid–hydrogen peroxide system for the efficient selective leaching of lithium ions from spent lithium iron phophate batteries. A paper on their process is published in thr Journal of Power Sources. With rapid technology development and the support... Read more →

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have demonstrated a simple, new, and effective way to separate metal ions from a simulated battery electrode mixture. Their process relies on fundamental chemical principles and requires no specialty chemicals, binding agents, membranes, or toxic solvents. Instead, it uses a common gel loaded... Read more →

Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group focused on supporting the transition to net zero, and SYNETIQ, the UK’s leading vehicle salvage, dismantling and recycling specialist, announced a new commercial collaboration which will see the two companies working together to recycle the growing number of EV batteries from cars that have... Read more →

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have designed a closed-loop path for synthesizing an exceptionally tough carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and later recovering all of its starting materials. A lightweight, strong and tough composite material, CFRP is useful for reducing weight and increasing fuel efficiency of automobiles,... Read more →

Li-Cycle Germany GmbH, a subsidiary of Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., a global lithium-ion battery resource recovery company, has received approval from the State of Saxony-Anhalt for a grant of up to €6.4 million for its lithium-ion battery Spoke recycling facility, located in Sülzetal, Saxony-Anhalt, as part of the “Improving the Regional... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $30 million in funding to develop innovative solutions that support the creation of a circular electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. (DE-FOA-0003303) Funded by DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the Catalyzing Innovative Research for Circular Use of Long-lived Advanced Rechargeables... Read more →

Iveco Group has selected BASF (FWB: BAS), the world’s leading chemical company and biggest chemical supplier for the automotive industry, as its first partner to provide a recycling solution for the lithium-ion batteries of the Group’s electric vehicles. This decision is part of Iveco Group’s circular economy strategy which follows... Read more →

Batterymaker Northvolt has signed a $5-billion non-recourse project financing to enable the expansion of Northvolt Ett in northern Sweden. The deal represents the largest green loan raised in Europe to date. In addition to the expansion of Northvolt Ett’s cathode production and cell manufacturing, the finance package will enable the... Read more →

Lifezone Metals announced the completion of funding for Phase 1 of a joint venture with a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore plc for a platinum, palladium and rhodium (collectively platinum group metals or PGMs) recycling project which will utilize Lifezone Metals’ hydrometallurgical technology. (Earlier post.) Phase 1 of the joint... Read more →

ACE Green Recycling (ACE) (earlier post) has successfully delivered the first of three phases of its proprietary zero-emissions modular lead battery recycling technology to ACME Metal Enterprise’s facility in Keelung City, Taiwan. As part of the agreement, ACE will provide equipment and proprietary chemicals to enable ACME to produce “GreenLead”... Read more →

RecycLiCo Battery Materials announced that the company’s recycled lithium carbonate, from lithium-ion battery waste, has passed a comprehensive suite of tests conducted by a battery materials company in Asia. RecycLiCo’s lithium carbonate, contained in a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery, was subjected to several industry-standard tests, including LFP fabrication and... Read more →

BASF, a global battery materials producer and battery recycler, and Stena Recycling, one of Europe´s leading recycling companies, offering comprehensive solutions in recycling and circular services, have entered into a black mass purchase agreement. This agreement is part of a broader collaboration envisaged by BASF and Stena Recycling with the... Read more →

A team from Sogang University and DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology) in S. Korea have developed a catalytic strategy designed to overcome the energy and environmental challenges associated with metallurgical processes for recycling spent Li-ion batteries. A paper on the work is published in the Journal of... Read more →

Steel wire company Bekaert has delivered the first batches of third-party certified recycled steel to Bridgestone Corporation. Bekaert said that the successful pilot is the first step toward setting a new industry standard for recycled content in tire reinforcement, and to making certified tire reinforcement with high recycled content available... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Bath and University of Surrey have developed a way of introducing degradable bonds into thermoset polymers to make them more easily recyclable. An open-access paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Polymer Chemistry. The team made a series of polymer gels with... Read more →

Researchers at the Technische Universität Braunschweig and colleagues have developed a solvent-based direct recycling route for anode and cathode coating materials that allows direct reuse of the recovered coating materials. A high yield of recovery is achieved by mechanical stress in a suitable solvent (96 % for anodes, 85 %... Read more →

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced $37 million in funding (DE-FOA-0003120) to reduce costs associated with recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This funding opportunity is the second phase of $200 million in total provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for electric drive vehicle battery recycling and second life applications. Through... Read more →

Lifezone Metals signed a term sheet with a subsidiary of Glencore plc for the two-phased implementation of a recycling joint venture to recover platinum, palladium and rhodium (collectively platinum group metals or PGMs) from spent automotive catalytic converters. The joint venture will be domiciled in the US. The goal of... Read more →

Researchers in China are proposing a paired electrolysis process for the more efficient recovery of spent lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) electrode materials. Their work is presented in an open-access paper in the RSC journal Green Chemistry. There are three typical methods for recovery of spent... Read more →

Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and industry partners have launched a collaboration to develop a more efficient direct recycling process for spent batteries, by means of which the active components are recovered while maintaining their functionality. The project is funded by the German Federal Research Ministry with approximately... Read more →

RecycLiCo Battery Materials recently received investment approval from the Taiwan Department of Investment Review for its 50/50 joint venture with Zenith Chemical Corporation. The joint venture company, named Recyclico Zenith Battery Materials Technology Co., solidifies a significant partnership in the company’s expansion within the Asian market. RecycLiCo has committed to... Read more →

The Belgian Provincial Institute of Hygiene (PIH) announced the results of six-monthly blood lead measurements among children living near the Umicore metals recycling site in Hoboken, Belgium. Until earlier this year, the blood tests were carried out on children living in the adjacent neighborhoods of Moretusburg and Hertogvelden. Now for... Read more →

Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) is expanding its battery recycling network with a new collaboration with Cirba Solutions, a battery recycling materials and management company. The agreement enhances Toyota and Cirba Solutions’ growing relationship by expanding Toyota’s battery recycling network and optimizing its logistics network for end-of-life electrified vehicle battery... Read more →

Rio Tinto and Giampaolo Group have completed a transaction to form the Matalco joint venture (earlier post), combining the strengths of North America’s largest primary and secondary aluminum producers to meet the growing demand from manufacturers for low carbon materials. Following the receipt of all regulatory approvals, Rio Tinto has... Read more →

Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group, has secured more than £700,000 (US$889,000) in UK government innovation funding for two collaborative research projects focused on the recovery of copper and Rare Earth Elements (REE) from mine waste. Building on its work to recover lithium and other critical battery materials from end-of-life... Read more →

Hydro, the Norwegian aluminum and renewable energy company, and a world leader in the production of recycled and low-carbon aluminum, recently celebrated the official opening of its recycling plant in Cassopolis, Michigan, just 18 months after breaking ground at the site.. Hydro expects to produce 265 million pounds (120,000 metric... Read more →

Munich-based climate tech startup tozero and Huayou Recycling are partnering for the recycling of battery waste in Europe. The partnership is intended to have a significant impact on the region’s battery industry, addressing the challenges posed by the growing electrification of the European eMobility landscape and the accompanying surge in... Read more →

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and Redwood Materials announced an expanded recycling agreement that aims to create pathways for automotive batteries used in Toyota’s electrified vehicles that have reached the end of their life. The plan also includes an agreement for Toyota to source Cathode Active Material (CAM) and Anode... Read more →

Canada-based Li-Metal Corp., a developer of lithium metal anode and lithium metal production technologies, announced the successful production and shipment of its first batch of lithium metal ingots. The lithium metal ingots were produced at Li-Metal’s recently commissioned lithium metal reprocessing and casting facility in Markham, Ontario, which has the... Read more →

Following a joint call to action around recovered carbon black (rCB) at the 2021 Smithers rCB conference, Bridgestone Corporation and Michelin Group have published a joint technical white paper to share the results of their work with stakeholders in the rCB community to develop a proposed global standard to increase... Read more →