ABTC Announces Major Sale of Recycled Battery Materials
American Battery Technology Company (ABTC), which operates in critical battery materials, has entered into a direct binding agreement for the bulk purchase of its accumulated recycled black mass material by a domestic strategic customer. The milestone marks a pivotal moment in ABTC's mission to commercialise its technologies for both primary battery minerals manufacturing and secondary lithium-ion battery recycling.
ABTC's journey
ABTC began operations at its commercial lithium-ion battery recycling plant in October 2023. The facility employs an integrated set of recycling processes. Its strategic de-manufacturing approach combines deconstruction with a targeted selective hydrometallurgical process. The system is versatile and capable of processing lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scraps of various sizes, shapes, and internal chemistries.
"We are proud to have manufactured bulk quantities of high nickel and cobalt content recycled black mass material at our commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility,"
"By our corporate principles, we strongly prefer to sell our recycled materials into the North American battery supply chain to facilitate the establishment of closed-loop domestic operations, as opposed to exporting these critical minerals abroad."
"We also are proud to have established strong relationships with domestic customers that allow us to sell these recycled products directly as opposed to indirectly through brokers." stated ABTC CEO Ryan Melsert.
The challenge
- Disposing hazardous materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel poses environmental risks, including soil and water contamination.
- Recycling is complex and costly, requiring advanced technologies to extract and reuse valuable materials safely.
- The growing volume of end-of-life batteries strains existing recycling infrastructure.
Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts to develop efficient recycling technologies, implement strict environmental regulations, and foster industry collaboration to create sustainable solutions for EV battery disposal and reuse.
"Efficient recycling of EV batteries can significantly reduce the demand for raw materials and minimise the environmental impact of battery production," reiterates Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO.
Phases of the recycling process
The ABTC recycling facility operates in two phases:
- First Phase: The initial phase produces recycled products, including copper, aluminium, steel, a lithium intermediate, and a black mass intermediate material.
- Second Phase: Currently being implemented, this phase further refines these materials into battery-grade nickel sulphate, cobalt sulphate, manganese sulphate, and lithium hydroxide.
Creating a supply chain
Initially, ABTC considered marketing its black mass intermediate material globally. However, the company's strategic priority has shifted to selling its recycled products in North America.
Innovation and Sustainability
ABTC's efforts to bring first-of-its-kind technologies to market are crucial in supporting the development of a domestically sourced battery metals circular supply chain. The company's recycling and primary battery metals commercialisation efforts are instrumental in powering a global transition to electrification and sustainable energy.
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