Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group dedicated to advancing the transition to net zero, has announced a significant breakthrough in developing sustainable, low-carbon battery materials. Test results have confirmed for the first time that Altilium’s recycled cathode active materials (CAM) match the performance of commercially available materials.
This achievement marks a crucial milestone in establishing a sustainable domestic supply chain for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the UK, positioning recycled materials as a competitive alternative to mined sources. Recycling old EV batteries and production scrap is poised to play a vital role in addressing the shortage of raw materials needed for the energy transition while reducing the environmental impact of battery production. Until now, limited efforts have demonstrated that recycled materials can perform on par with commercial ones.
Recent electrochemical testing of cells produced from Altilium’s recycled CAM at its ACT1 facility in Devon has shown comparable rate and cycle performance to commercially available CAM used in current high-nickel NMC 811 batteries. The cycle cell capacity of Altilium’s recycled CAM reached 193 mAh·g⁻¹ during testing, closely aligning with the typical range of 190–194 mAh·g⁻¹ for commercial CAM. This demonstrates the material’s equivalency and reliability. Battery cycle testing, an essential step in design and validation, involves repeated charge and discharge cycles to confirm a material’s longevity and performance.
Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the structure of Altilium’s CAM is indistinguishable from commercial variants. XRD is a non-destructive technique used to monitor various parameters, including phase composition, crystallite size, and material orientation.
These findings highlight the capability of Altilium’s recycled CAM to deliver both quality and sustainability to the EV battery market. Dr. Christian Marston, co-founder and COO of Altilium, commented, “With these results, Altilum has shown recycled battery metals can perform as well as virgin metals and that critical minerals are essentially the same whether they come from a mine or an old EV battery. Our recycled CAM not only matches but can even exceed the performance of traditional materials. We have shown there is no need to compromise on performance, with the additional sustainability benefits of using recycled materials.”
The CAM was produced as part of a collaborative research project supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC23). Altilium is the only company in the UK producing CAM from recycled materials for the production and qualification of new EV batteries. The company’s EcoCathode™ process recovers over 95% of critical metals, including lithium, from spent batteries, before upcycling and re-engineering them into modern battery chemistry materials.
CAM is a critical component in an EV battery, key to determining safety, durability, and range. Currently, almost all CAM is produced in Asia, with no manufacturing in the UK. Building domestic capacity for producing these battery materials is essential for the future of the UK’s automotive sector as it transitions to EVs. According to the Advanced Propulsion Centre, the UK automotive industry will require 153,000 tonnes of CAM annually by 2035 to produce over one million EVs each year.
Altilium is now collaborating with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) to produce battery cells using its recycled CAM for validation with a leading automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM). By scaling up domestic CAM production and demonstrating its manufacturability at scale, Altilium is supporting the development of a circular economy for battery materials and paving the way for a more sustainable EV industry.
Beyond these material engineering capabilities, Altilium’s EcoCathode™ process is also more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional cathode manufacturing methods. A recent lifecycle analysis found that CAM produced using Altilium’s process could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 74% compared to primary raw materials sourced from a Chinese supply chain.
Source: Altilium
