Electra Provides Update on Black Mass Recycling
05 February 2024 - 11:00PM
Business Wire
Electra Battery Materials Corporation (NASDAQ: ELBM; TSX-V:
ELBM) (“Electra” or the “Company) today provided an update on
its battery materials recycling trial taking place at the Ontario
refinery complex. Recent optimizations have resulted in additional
improved recoveries of lithium, nickel, cobalt and other critical
minerals, further bolstering the quality of saleable products. At
this time, the plant-scale black mass recycling trial is largely
complete, and the Company is compiling an internal report detailing
the proprietary methodologies used, as well as various
optimizations and modular growth scenarios.
“Throughout this 12-month demonstration operation, our team has
continued to refine and optimize the processes resulting in
successive improvements to the saleable products. These results
support our thesis that Electra’s battery materials recycling flow
sheet could be an important contributor to our refinery
operations,” said Electra’s CEO, Trent Mell. “The Ontario refinery
is a unique asset that can be expanded on a modular basis,
leveraging existing permits and infrastructure. As the transition
continues toward green energy solutions and electrification, the
supply of material in need of recycling will increase. Electra’s
technical team successfully operated the first refinery in North
America to process black mass on a plant scale, providing important
insights on what will be required to operate a black mass plant and
support our downstream cell manufacturing clients.”
Recent Black Mass Optimizations:
- Electra has improved its lithium carbonate product quality by
nearly 20% from its initial processing and product quality is now
approaching “technical grade” lithium carbonate. Discussions are
ongoing with lithium companies to assess the tradeoffs between
collaboration or producing a technical grade in-house.
- Manganese recovery rate has been further improved to
approximately 95% by strategically modifying the use and sequencing
of reagents.
- Continued refinements to the process parameters for the
nickel-cobalt mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) produced from the
recycling process have at times improved paymetal concentration in
the final MHP product to nearly 50% nickel and cobalt, well above
quoted market standards. Improved metal concentration creates the
opportunity to generate a higher metal payable, thereby improving
the potential economics of continuous recycling operations.
- Continued optimization studies are underway, including metal
recovery from internal recycling streams such as reusing tailings
water as process water to feed the plant, thus making the process
entirely closed circuit with minimal environmental impacts.
- Preliminary results of laboratory work to explore the potential
of isolating cobalt from nickel contained in the leach liquor using
hydrometallurgical methods are positive. Isolating the cobalt could
improve the overall payability of both the resultant cobalt and
nickel product.
Electra launched a black mass trial late in 2022 at its Ontario
refinery complex to recover critical minerals from black mass in
shredded lithium-ion batteries and successfully operated this
demonstration process throughout 2023 on a semi-continuous basis to
maximize product recoveries. The battery recycling strategy is part
of a multipronged development plan for a battery materials park
supplying battery-grade material to third-party cathode precursor
manufacturers.
The Company has developed proprietary hydrometallurgical
technology that targets all of the critical minerals present in the
black mass as saleable products. Once recovered, the products can
further be upgraded to battery grade materials and reused by
gigafactories to produce batteries or other products.
Additional Black Mass Program Highlights:
- Electra has processed 40 tonnes of black mass material in a
plant scale setting, believed to be the first of its kind in North
America.
- Recovery rates for all targeted metals – lithium, nickel,
cobalt, graphite, and manganese - have improved since the start of
the trial in December 2022.
- Approximately 28 tonnes of nickel-cobalt MHP product have been
shipped to customers.
- Reagent requirements were reduced and in some cases
alternative, less costly, reagents were used for improved overall
metal recovery. Further, some of the reagent additions substituted
have reduced overall impurity levels within the process. The
reduction in reagent use and substitution of certain reagents are
expected to lower operating expenses, thereby improving the
economics of continuous recycling operations.
Black mass is the industry term used to describe the material
remaining once expired lithium-ion batteries are shredded and all
casings removed. Black mass contains high-value elements, including
lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, and graphite, that once
recovered, can be recycled to produce new lithium-ion
batteries.
Established North American battery recyclers have focused on
collecting and shredding of batteries with the resulting black mass
material primarily exported, or treated by a pyrometallurgical
smelting process that has a higher carbon footprint and lower metal
recoveries than hydrometallurgical processes.
About Electra Battery Materials
Electra is a processor of low-carbon, ethically sourced battery
materials. Currently focused on developing North America’s only
cobalt sulfate refinery and a black mass demonstration plant,
Electra is executing a multipronged strategy to onshore the
electric vehicle supply chain. Keys to its strategy are integrating
black mass recycling and nickel sulfate production at Electra’s
cobalt refinery located north of Toronto, advancing Iron Creek, its
cobalt-copper exploration-stage project in the Idaho Cobalt Belt,
and expanding cobalt sulfate processing into Bécancour, Quebec. For
more information, please visit www.ElectraBMC.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information (together, “forward-looking
statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws and
the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are
forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements
can be identified by the use of terminology such as “plans”,
“expects”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes” or
variations of such words, or statements that certain actions,
events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “occur” or “be
achieved”. Such forward-looking statements include, without
limitation, statements regarding the potential for additional
funding from the Federal government of Canada and the government of
Ontario and the quantum and terms thereof, adjustments of interest
rates on the occurrence of certain events which may impact the
attributes of the notes and warrants issued under the Note
offering, including but not limited to a “green bond” designation,
and the effective conversion rate of the Notes and Warrants, which
is subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. Forward-looking
statements are based on certain assumptions, and involve risks,
uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results,
performance, and opportunities to differ materially from those
implied by such forward-looking statements. Among the bases for
assumptions with respect to the potential for additional government
funding are discussions and indications of support from government
actors based on certain milestones being achieved. Factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from these
forward-looking statements are set forth in the management
discussion and analysis and other disclosures of risk factors for
Electra Battery Materials Corporation, filed on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.com and with on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Other factors
that could lead actual results to differ materially include changes
with respect to government or investor expectations or actions as
compared to communicated intentions, and general macroeconomic and
other trends that can affect levels of government or private
investment. Although the Company believes that the information and
assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are
reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these
statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release,
and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the
disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by
applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation
to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240205109937/en/
Heather Smiles Vice President, Investor Relations &
Corporate Development info@ElectraBMC.com 1.416.900.3891
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