Nanoramic collab with RecycLiCo a success

Following a recent strategic collaboration at the beginning of August, RecycLiCo Battery Materials Inc. and Nanoramic Laboratories announced the results of their testing, demonstrating both companies' technologies can be used to support the goal of optimizing the complete life cycle of lithium-ion batteries.

With Nanoramic contributing its Neocarbonix lithium-ion battery electrodes and RecycLiCo providing its proprietary lithium-ion battery recycling process, the collaboration announced on Aug. 2 was intended to attain a mutual integration of both technologies to promote cleaner and greener battery supply to wider markets.

"This collaboration places RecycLiCo at the forefront of battery recycling technology by working with next-generation cathode materials to demonstrate a closed-loop, sustainable process," said RecycLiCo CEO Zarko Meseldzija. "We are delighted to work alongside Nanoramic, a company whose commitment to sustainability reflects our own. With our combined expertise, we're confident we can make a substantial contribution towards minimizing environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices in the industry."

Nanoramic's innovative NMP- (N-methyl pyrrolidone) free and PVDF- (polyvinylidene fluoride) free Neocarbonix electrodes – the first being an increasingly popular solvent in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, with the second being a common polymer binder in electronics – were developed to offer a solution to potential bans on Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, "forever chemicals" commonly being referred to as PFAS.

By leveraging RecycLiCo's expertise in converting waste cathodes into valuable battery-grade materials, Nanoramic believes RecycLiCo's recycling technology best suits its unique batteries and can ultimately lead to "closing the loop" on conscientious battery production.

"Sustainability has always been at the heart of Nanoramic, so this exciting partnership with RecycLiCo is crucial in our mission to reduce the end-to-end impact of battery manufacturing and use," said Nanoramic Chief Products Officer John Cooley. "It is also further proof that we at Nanoramic are continuing to grow and stand out in the global market. We're developing transformative technologies that are not just more sustainable, but enabling lower cost, faster charging, and higher performing batteries that will ultimately encourage more people to shift to electric vehicles, which will have huge benefits to society. We're proud that RecycLiCo is now joining us on that journey."

Test results

After roughly five months of examining the viability of employing RecycLiCo's recycling technology on Nanoramic's unique NMP- and PVDF-free electrodes, the companies reported that test results demonstrate the success of recycling Nanoramic's batteries without concern.

Notably, Nanoramic's electrodes can be recycled with fewer processing steps compared to conventional PVDF-based electrodes, resulting in energy and resource savings.

A key finding from the collaboration was the ability to separate the cathode active material from the aluminum foil more quickly and without chemical additives in the separation stage of the process. This method not only improves environmental friendliness but enhances RecycLiCo's core recycling technology in downstream stages.

RecycLiCo has already demonstrated its ability to achieve 99% leach extraction of lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt from cathode active material. However, the absence of fluorine in the binder in Nanoramic's electrodes simplifies downstream processing.

By eliminating fluorine, additional steps to remove this compound are no longer necessary, streamlining the recycling process and further minimizing environmental impact.

Looking beyond the competition, Nanoramic's NMP-free and PVDF-free electrodes align seamlessly with global trends of moving away from PFAS in lithium-ion batteries, showcasing that both companies are ahead of the curve.

As industries worldwide brace for stricter environmental regulations, the advancements made by RecycLiCo and Nanoramic enable the lithium-ion battery sector to not only meet these emerging standards but also potentially offer economic advantages by enhancing supply chain efficiency.