MuW institute part of a research project for lithium recovery
MuW institute part of a research project for lithium recovery
The aim of the "EarLi" research project is to develop an economical process for the recovery of high-purity lithium hydroxide from recycled battery materials using innovative processes and materials.
The consortium receives five million euros in funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The consortium includes the Department of Process Metallurgy and Metal Recycling (IME) at the RWTH Aachen University, the Krefeld-based battery recycler Accurec, the Dortmund-based chemical company Evonik, and the Öko-Institut.
In the case of the metals nickel and cobalt, large quantities of material can already be recovered from old batteries. Things are different with lithium. "Researchers all over the world are looking for processes that can recover this valuable battery raw material in high quality, economically viable and in large quantities," said Ralph Marquardt, Head of Innovation at Evonik. The consortium wants to use a new process chain to increase the recovery rate of lithium from used batteries. After the black mass is created, it is then electrochemically separated using a highly selective ceramic membrane and isolated as high-purity lithium hydroxide monohydrate, Accurec explains. Evonik has been working on comparable processes for years. The use of the innovative process combination should enable cost- and energy-efficient isolation of high-purity lithium hydroxide and thus close the lithium cycle in the field of battery applications.