SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Materials Corporation announced that it has collaborated with Envipro Holdings Inc. and VOLTA Inc. to start joint development of hydrometallurgical technology for recovering and refining the lithium, cobalt and nickel contained in black mass. The partners intend to commercialize the technology in future.

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The three partner companies have agreed to share their technical know-how and hydrometallurgical technology towards development of technologies for the commercialization of the recovery and refinement of minor metals using black mass as the raw material.

Nobuhiro Takayanagi, Managing Executive Officer, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation noted that the company has decided to jointly develop a new recycling process for recovering minor metals from the black mass of LIBs using hydrometallurgy. It aims to make use of the smelting technology to make the project a success, he said.

Tomikazu Sano, Representative Director, Envipro Holdings Inc. said that China and South Korea were among the first countries to commercialize LIB recycling. The joint development agreement with Mitsubishi Materials aims to realize a closed-loop of LIBs to LIBs, Sano added.