Canadian Company Updates Lithium Ion Battery Recycling

Vancouver-based American Manganese Inc. (AMI) has reported that Kemetco has now completed the production of rechargeable lithium ion batteries from recycled materials, produced with AMI’s hydrometallurgical process technology.

According to the company, AMI’s research work is on schedule and on budget for the completion and filing of its patent application by November 2017.  The technology has been successful in making Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO), Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO), Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) and Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA) batteries. American Manganese believes it is in a position to cover a wide market spectrum as follows:

• LMO are high power batteries commonly used in power tools
• LCO are high energy batteries and used extensively in personal electronics, smartphones and notebook computers
• NMC and NCA batteries provide a combination of power and energy, and are becoming the preferred chemistries for the rapidly growing electric vehicle market

As reported, the lithium ion battery market could reach 69 billion US-Dollar by 2022 from 23.5 billion US-Dollar in 2015, AMI cited a study provided by MarketsandMarkets. “The cathode metal markets continue to be robust, especially Cobalt at 61,000 US-Dollar/ton, lithium carbonate at 12,000 US-Dollar/ton, with nickel up 35 percent in the last 60 days to 12,000 US-Dollar/ton,” Larry W. Reaugh, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Manganese Inc. was quoted.  “This bodes well for AMI’s recycling opportunities.”

Prices of large flake graphite have been rising in the past few months to 1,150US-Dollar/ton. The company would begin research to recover the graphite from the anodes (copper foils) once the US patents are filed, and anticipates possible filings of additional patents relating to Kemetco’s ongoing research.

American Manganese Inc. is a diversified specialty and critical metal company focused on capitalizing on its patented intellectual property through low cost production or recovery of electrolytic manganese products throughout the world, and recycling of spent electric vehicle lithium ion rechargeable batteries.

Kemetco Research is a private sector integrated science, technology and innovation company. Their contract sciences operation provides laboratory analysis and testing, field work, bench scale studies, pilot plant investigations, consulting services, applied research and development for both industry and government. Their clients range from start-up companies developing new technologies through to large multinational corporations with proven processes.

Photo: O. Kürth