Direct Lithium Extraction From LFP Black Mass

Funded by the Hydro Energy.

The rapid growth of electric vehicles has led to a significant increase in end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. Among these, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries are becoming increasingly common due to their safety, stability, and long cycle life. However, recycling strategies for LFP batteries remain less developed compared to other battery chemistries.

This project explores Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) as a novel approach for recovering lithium from LFP battery black mass. While DLE techniques are gaining attention in lithium recovery from brines and other sources, their application to LFP black mass has not yet been systematically investigated.

The overall goal of this project is to build a fundamental understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with applying DLE to LFP recycling, and to develop and test both batch and continuous lab-scale processes for lithium recovery.