Let’s develop a truly green process together for the recycling of lithium ion batteries!
What is key to a sustainable (EV) battery industry? It’s the efficient recovery of lithium and cobalt, two elements that raw material experts regard as critical due to their scarcity, cumbersome production and risk of supply. They are located in the cathode material of lithium ion batteries and, after discharging and dismantling, they can be recovered in a mixture called “black mass” together with other metal compounds.
Today, metals are recycled from black mass in energy-intensive smelting plants that release climate-damaging gases and fail to recover most of the lithium. Alternatively, hydrometallurgical approaches use aggressive chemicals and produce acidic waste piles that are costly to dispose of.
We believe these strategies belong to the past and envisage a truly green process for the recycling of (EV) batteries.
Contact our expert
Dr. Esther Gabor
is our expert in the field of biotechnological recycling
View her profile
How microbes can make lithium ion battery recycling more sustainable, more effective and even completely CO2-neutral
Dedicated microorganisms can, by producing organic acids, selectively dissolve lithium and cobalt and leave the remaining bulk material in the solid state. To support this bioleaching activity, microorganisms are fed, i.e. with a simple sugar, a carbon-rich waste stream such as beet syrup, crude glycerol from biodiesel production, or pomace from vegetable or fruit processing. Or even just with carbon dioxide. The latter could compensate for the whole amount of carbon dioxide released during the original production process. An overview of the process is shown in this animation.
Conventional battery recycling is good – microbial battery recycling is even better
Microbial battery recycling
Small CO2 footprint and low energy consumption
Biosolvents from renewable resources (sugars, waste streams, CO2)
No toxic emissions
Selective and efficient metal extraction
Decentralized, modular units, integration into existing flowcharts
Traditional hydrometallurgy
Low energy consumption
High metal recovery
Decentralized, modular units, integration into existing flowcharts
Aggressive chemicals
Toxic emissions
Pyrometallurgy
Established process
High energy consumption & big carbon footprint
Emission of climate-damaging gases (SOx, NOx, Cl gases)
Lower rate of metal recovery (Lithium slagging)
Central process and costly logistics
Our offer
Broad ready-to-screen selection of high-performance microorganisms
Optimized microorganisms for the specific needs of metal extraction
Deep understanding of process development needs in urban mining
Highly motivated team of biomining experts
Our vision
Microorganisms take over lithium and cobalt extraction and lead to a fully environmentally friendly and sustainable battery recycling process.
Your benefit
Drive a pioneering biobased innovation process and secure your pole position in the development of a sustainable battery recycling process!
Integrate our proprietary dedicated microorganisms for single process steps into your existing process, or set up a greenfield process.
For the current stage of the proposal and our proposed project outline download our info sheet:
Creating #MicrobialBatteryRecycling
All information summarized in our flyer
Download PDF
Be a pioneer in sustainable battery recycling
If you want to
establish a CO2-neutral circular economy
increase the sustainability of your battery recycling process
replace fossil resources by renewable ones
be a first mover in bio-based recycling
then join us as a development partner and rely on our competencies in the field of biotechnology.
We are ready for the challenge. Let’s make a difference together!
Highly competent in microbiology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, protein engineering, and bioprocess development
Creative people thinking outside the box
Proven performance in (funded) projects and consortia
Working in partnership with customers leads to satisfied and returning customers, looking for further innovations to advance their business
Our proven expertise in the field of sustainable metal extraction
Microorganisms from the BRAIN bioarchive extract precious metals from e-waste, ashes, slags and other waste streams in an environmentally friendly way.
