CMI researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducted the research for this highlight
- There is an urgent need for having a domestic resource for the constituent elements (cobalt, nickel, manganese, lithium) of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). There is little to no mining, downstream refining or recycling in the U.S. for these elements.
- End-of-life LIBs can be used as a secondary resource to recover and recycle battery materials. However, the traditional technologies are quite complex, inefficient, and generate a lot of waste.
- The membrane solvent extraction process (MSX) developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with the support of CMI can recover battery materials with a >99 - 99.99+ wt.% purity. MSX is an energy-efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly process that can recover constituent elements from a wide range of spent LIB feedstocks.
- Momentum Technologies Inc., Dallas, Texas, has engaged in recycling critical metals from electronic waste since 2016. Momentum licensed the MSX technology for recovering the constituent elements from spent LIBs in May 2020.
- Momentum is working with several potential partners for joint venture and technology commercialization.
Bhave, et al., U.S. Patent Application No. 16/884,189, May 2020 (licensed to Momentum Technologies in May 2020).