RecycLiCo material passes usability test

RecycLiCo Battery Materials Inc.'s lithium carbonate-created end-of-life batteries has been qualified by C4V’s Phase 1 Supply Chain Qualification program through testing in battery cells.

New York-based C4V is a lithium-ion battery technology company that works with raw material suppliers and equipment supply chain that helps bring to market fully optimized batteries containing recycled content.

The qualification program conducted by C4V has yielded "exceptional" test results, says British Columbia-based RecyclLiCo, adding that its recycled-content lithium carbonate has been converted to cathode material and assembled into battery cells.

The battery cell tests demonstrated good capacity and stability throughout cycle testing, the company says, meeting C4V’s "rigorous benchmarks" and affirms the quality of RecycLiCo’s recycled lithium rivals that of mined lithium.

“As demand for lithium soars, it’s becoming increasingly clear that mining alone cannot sustainably meet global needs,” says Zarko Meseldzija, CEO and director of RecycLiCo. “This test confirms that our recycled lithium is not just a viable alternative, but we believe it will soon be considered more valuable than mined lithium.”

RecycLiCo says such an outcome underscores the importance of its mission to innovate within the recycling space, ensuring a greener and more efficient battery supply chain for the future.

“This development is poised to attract new partnerships, drive industry change and deliver tangible benefits," the company adds.

The company also says prior to the qualification of its lithium carbonate, C4V qualified its NMC811 precursor cathode active material (pCAM) in cell production and performance evaluations. RecycLiCo’s lithium carbonate and pCAM will both undergo Phase 2 testing, which will focus on producing pouch cells and commercial size prismatic cells.

“We are pleased to announce the successful qualification of lithium carbonate in [the] Phase 1 process," C4V Engineering Mananger Baasit Ali says of RecycLiCo's lithium carbonate. "Being the key component in [the] battery value chain, this milestone underscores our unwavering commitment to driving sustainable solutions and the industry forward.”