Sensqo and Cylib Extract Lithium Hydroxide from Used Battery Waste
In a significant stride towards sustainable battery recycling, the Aachen recycling company, Cylib, and the Belgian chemical corporation, Syensqo, have joined forces with Tenova Advanced Technologies to develop an innovative lithium recovery process. This process, which aims to meet future EU regulatory requirements, targets the recovery of at least 50% of lithium content from battery waste by the end of 2027, and 80% by 2031.
The heart of this groundbreaking process is Syensqo's proprietary solvent extractant, CYANEX® 936P. This high-selectivity solvent, renowned for its exceptional lithium selectivity, is a core component of the advanced extraction method co-developed with Tenova Advanced Technologies.
Cylib's hydrometallurgical treatment of battery black mass produces hundreds of liters of lithium-rich effluent. This effluent is treated with CYANEX 936P in an extraction step, followed by purification, conversion, and crystallization. These subsequent steps yield lithium hydroxide that meets or exceeds the strict purity standards required by leading cathode active material (CAM) manufacturers.
One of the key advantages of this process is its versatility. The high-selectivity extraction solvent enables selective lithium extraction even from complex mixtures of battery chemistries, including nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) contained in the shredded electrodes. This means the process can be applied to both NMC and LFP cell chemistries, streamlining operations on a single line.
The integration of Cylib's hydrometallurgical process with Syensqo's solvent extraction technology has set new benchmarks in lithium recovery efficiency and purity. In a recent pilot project, the two companies successfully extracted battery-grade lithium hydroxide from black mass.
This breakthrough lithium recovery process, driven by the innovative high-selectivity solvent CYANEX 936P, promises to play a crucial role in meeting the EU's ambitious targets for lithium recovery from end-of-life electric vehicle batteries.
The cutting-edge lithium recovery process, driven by Syensqo's high-selectivity solvent CYANEX 936P, integrates environmental-science principles with technology, as it targets the recovery of at least 50% of lithium content from battery waste by the end of 2027. This process, co-developed with Tenova Advanced Technologies and Cylib, can extract battery-grade lithium hydroxide from complex mixtures of battery chemistries, such as nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP), showcasing the importance of science in environmental-science and technology advancements.
