Featured in Moving in circles – 09-2024

UP: Raw materials and black mass

Batteries are increasingly vital for energy storage, transport, and consumer goods. The need for steady supplies of critical raw materials has led to a growing emphasis on recycling in many countries. pv magazine explores the global landscape of battery recycling and the flow of an increasingly crucial intermediate from battery recycling, known as “black mass.”
US-based battery recycler Ascend Elements bags black mass after shredding EV battery modules. | Photos: Ascend Elements

 The most widely used energy storage methods are chemical batteries, and lithium-ion devices are the most common. Any country or region wanting an independent supply of critical raw materials is now looking towards battery recycling to keep this value.Electronic transport (see chart to the right) is driving more than 80% of global lithium-ion battery demand …

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