Application of Industrial-Scale Lithium Sulphate Electrolysis in Battery Recycling

As the world charges towards electrification and sustainable transportation, it is critical that the entire supply chain is equally sustainable. Industrial processes must be tailored towards circular processes in which emissions and effluents to the environment are minimized, if not eliminated altogether. When it comes to the production of battery grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate, a critical component of lithium ion batteries (LIBs), and the recovery of the lithium in spent LIBs. NORAM Electrolysis Systems Inc (NESI) has developed electrochemical technologies in which effluents are greatly reduced. NESI has developed a flexible, multi-compartment industrial electrolyser for salt splitting (NORSCAND®) applications including electrolysis of lithium sulphate to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide (LHM). This electrolysis step can be used for the initial production of LHM or for recovering the LHM from recycling LIBs. In either case sulphuric acid is a by-product of the electrolysis process and it can then be recycled for dissolution of black mass in battery recycling processes or for e.g. SX regeneration. In both cases the incorporation of electrolysis in the flowsheet eliminates effluent streams. This presentation will outline the product quality and environmental benefits of electrolysis applied as part of a battery recycling flowsheet. It will outline the approach to electrolyser scale-up and present test and performance data from industrial-scale application. Figure 1