ReElement Technologies developing commercial-scale battery, magnet recycling facility

American Resources Corp., a Fishers, Indiana-based rare earth, critical elements and advanced carbon materials supplier, has announced its subsidiary, ReElement Technologies, is developing its second lithium-ion battery and rare earth magnet recycling and metal recovery facility.

ReElement, also based in Fishers, says it has commenced engineering and planning for the facility, which will utilize its patented chromatography technology to produce 99.9 percent pure critical battery material and 99.5 percent rare earth elements.

“The opportunity to continue the growth of our ReElement division is real and present given the demand for domestically produced battery- and magnet-grade materials,” American Resources CEO Mark Jensen says. “With the recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act and the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, the demand for such products is seeing rapid grow[th] and the versatility of our technology enables us to move quickly and cost-effectively to provide a real solution.”

The company say sit has narrowed the site selection for the 200,000-square-foot facility to one of two controlled properties: Noblesville, Indiana, which is approximately 40 acres of industrial-zoned land located about five miles from its first commercial purification facility, and in West Virginia near its existing premium mid-vol carbon processing and electrolysis technology site.

The recycling and metal recovery facility will be expanded by adding additional magnet and battery purification capacity through its modular design as the market for end-of-life magnets and battery material feedstock increases. Annual capacity is expected to exceed 95,000 tons of black mass and 6,000 tons of rare-earth magnet processing capabilities by 2025.

ReElement sources end-of-life magnets and batteries which are further processed into an aqueous-based solution to be separated and purified back to magnet- and battery-grade material to be reused in the manufacturing of new batteries, magnets or other technologies. Its chromatography technology replaces the need for hydrometallurgical or solvent extraction in the separation and purification step, and says its patented process is unique in that it can purify targeted materials on an isolated or mixed basis.

Over the past six years, the company has put together a technology platform of more than 16 patents and technology licenses. Its first facility in Noblesville is expected to be operational this year and will produce 56,000 kilograms of sellable rare-earth and battery metals, while the second, larger facility will operate up to 12 production trains.

“Beyond this facility, we are in numerous discussions on potential joint venture opportunities for customized, co-located facilities in both the United States and Europe,” Jensen says of future expansions. “Given the minimal environmental and land footprint required of our process, we can efficiently expand our operations as the supply of end-of-life materials expands versus overbuilding and running inefficiently in the early years, but also expand rapidly in the out years as the market and feedstocks expand. Additionally, given our corporate structure, we have the ability to finance this project through nondilutive sources at the ReElement level.”