European Metal Recycling (EMR) announces project to explore new ways to recover graphite during the recycling of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham, supported by EMR, are investigating the recovery and regeneration of graphite from “black mass”.
Black mass is a collection of materials which is generated as electric vehicle (EV) batteries are shredded and is produced at various points during EMR’s EV battery recycling processes.
Alongside new electric vehicle (EV) batteries, graphite recovered by EMR can be used in steelmaking, the production of brake linings, and to make new pencils.
EMR said the project will also explore ways of upcycling the material to the highest-capacity graphite SiOx, which can be used in the most demanding applications.
EMR said the project could help to contain graphite within the UK’s circular economy and position the UK as a global authority on graphite recovery in EV battery recycling.
EMR’s Managing Director for Technology and Innovation, Roger Morton said: “At EMR, our team of dedicated recycling experts are proud to have led the way when it comes to end-of-life vehicle recycling – and developing the technologies required for the transition to EVs continues this journey.
“The EMR team is very excited to now be working with the University of Birmingham on delivering an effective recycling and recovery strategy which can return this valuable material to the circular economy.
“As the recent arrival of our new Battery Recycling Centre in Birmingham shows, the era of industrial-scale EV battery recycling is already here but this new industry sprint highlights the huge potential that still exists to develop sustainable new technologies and processes that can improve how we operate.”
