This achievement marks a significant step forward in addressing the rapidly growing demand for Lithium-Ion batteries, projected to surge from today’s $52 billion to over $100 billion in the next five years, parallel to the graphite market’s growth from approximately $18 billion to about $32 billion.

With electric vehicle (EV) sales skyrocketing and expected to reach 380 million by 2030 in a Net Zero Scenario, the spotlight on graphite’s critical role as the primary anode material in batteries has never been brighter. However, traditional recycling methods have largely overlooked graphite, often deeming it a byproduct or waste.

Novocycle’s process breaks the mold by prioritizing the recovery of graphite, leveraging advanced dismantling and disassembly operations to separate and purify graphite powder from spent batteries. This approach not only addresses the environmental and cost challenges associated with mechanical pre-treatment methods but also surpasses the performance of virgin materials. Novocycle’s recovered graphite, boasting over 99% purity and exceptional microstructural integrity, has been successfully reintegrated into anode production, yielding coin and pouch cells in collaboration with industry partners.

Initial tests reveal that recycled graphite materials maintain over 99% performance efficiency in half-cell tests and exhibit sustained capacity over 100 charge-discharge cycles in full-cell tests with NMC811. These findings not only underscore the potential for high-quality material recovery but also align with Novocycle’s mission to foster sustainable technologies and practices within the industry.

As Novocycle continues to innovate, focusing on process cost reductions and the integration of recycled cathode materials, the vision for the world’s first recycled battery cell draws closer to reality. This initiative, driven by a commitment to sustainability and efficiency, sets a new standard for the recycling industry and paves the way for a greener, more sustainable future in battery manufacturing.

Novocycle extends heartfelt thanks to all project contributors, with special recognition to Dr. Recep Bakar, Dr. Ömer Eroğlu, and Mr. Taha Uluhan, for their invaluable contributions to this groundbreaking work.

For further information, contact:

Fatih Bosna, Author

References:

[1] Market Research Future Database Lithium Ion Battery Market/ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/….
[2] Market Research Future Database Graphite Market/ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/…
[3] IEA Global EV Outlook 2023, page 109-110, https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/…
[4] Bloomberg NEF Electric Vehicle Outlook 2023 by Bloomberg Finance L.P.2023/ https://assets.bbhub.io/…
[5] European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Grohol, M., Veeh, C., Study on the critical raw materials for the EU 2023 – Final report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/…
[6] The Key Minerals in an EV Battery by Elements.VisualCapitalist https://elements.visualcapitalist.com/…
[7] Xu, P., Dai, Q., Gao, H., Liu, H., Zhang, M., Li, M., Chen, Y., An, K., Meng, Y. S., Liu, P., Li, Y., Spangenberger, J. S., Gaines, L., Lu, J., & Chen, Z. (2020). Efficient direct recycling of lithium-ion battery cathodes by targeted healing. Joule, 4(12), 2609–2626. https://doi.org/…