Metso introduces sustainable battery black mass recycling

Battery black mass recycling is becoming an important means to complement virgin battery metals supply and to reduce the carbon footprint

By Canadian Mining Journal Staff June 7, 2023 

A rendering of what a Metso hydrometallurgical black mass recycling plant might look like. Metso image

Battery black mass recycling is becoming an important means to complement virgin battery metals supply and to reduce the carbon footprint of the battery supply chain. To respond to these needs, Metso is launching an advanced sustainable battery black mass recycling process.

The recycling process complements Metso’s extensive battery minerals technology offering, which covers concentration and hydrometallurgical processing as well as related services.

Metso is eager to close the loop and extend the life cycle of the many critical minerals that go into batteries for electric vehicles of all sizes. “With Metso’s technology, the critical metals can be sustainably extracted from black mass and re-used in new battery production or in other applications. Recycling of black mass from batteries with Metso’s process can reduce up to 60% of embedded carbon compared to use of virgin materials,” explains Don Simola, director, battery chemicals technology at Metso.

Metso’s hydrometallurgical black mass recycling process enables the treatment of mechanically separated and shredded batteries for recovering battery raw materials like nickel, cobalt, and lithium, as well as manganese and copper. The process is based on Metso’s proprietary VSF X Solvent extraction technology and complemented with OKTOP reactors, Larox PF filters, dual media (DM) and LSF filters, and thickeners and scrubbers. Many of these technologies are part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering.

The process flowsheet can be tailored according to feed materials and desired end products with a possible phased approach for adding equipment also for the recovery of less valuable materials.

Metso VP, hydrometallurgy Mikko Rantaharju said that with the launch of the battery black mass recycling process, the company’s battery minerals value chain covers 90% of the end-to-end production process.

Clients will be supported in the design of the process with comprehensive testing and research from Metso.

Read more about battery minerals and battery black mass recycling on the Metso website.