American Manganese (AM) said it has produced high purity material from a pilot lithium-ion plant recycling project in Canada.
AM said its processing partner, Kemetco Research Inc, produced a high purity NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) hydroxide filter cake (pictured) during the final stages of its ‘Recyclico’ project.
The filter cake was produced using a 35L batch sample of pregnant leach solution that was collected during the first two stages of the project.
The announcement came four months after testing began with a select sample of cathode scrap material at the pilot plant in British Columbia.
AM said its advances in the lithium-ion battery cathode recycling process had led to “extensive interest worldwide, with 31 non-disclosure agreements signed so far with a variety of industry players in nine different countries”. All interested parties “are or have conducted due diligence and feasibility studies on the Recyclico process with the hope of entering into licensing or joint venture arrangements”, AM said.
Meanwhile, AM will continue pilot plant testing on material “from multiple sources and chemistries as it prepares for potential commercial opportunities”.
The company has said that on full operation, the pilot plant will operate a five-stage process, with the final three stages unfolding thus: purification, followed by recovery of base materials such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese, followed by lithium recovery and water recycle.
AM CEO and president Larry Reaugh said: “We are collaborating with industry leaders on incorporating our Recyclco patented process to reduce battery manufacturing cost, environmental damage, and reliance on mining, and we are working on converting these leads into partners.”
