The UK is advancing toward complete battery circularity as the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) successfully processed Altilium’s recycled battery materials to produce cathode electrodes. This development marks a significant step in establishing a domestic supply chain for sustainable battery materials within the UK.
Altilium is focused on recovering and refining critical cathode metals from end-of-life batteries, upcycling them to create low-carbon cathode active materials (CAM). Unlike traditional recyclers that extract metals as “black mass,” Altilium refines these materials into CAM, which are ready-to-use and meet battery-grade specifications.
Cathode electrodes are essential components of lithium-ion batteries, influencing the battery’s capacity, energy density, and overall efficiency. They contain vital metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel. In a pioneering effort, UKBIC has produced a cathode electrode using Altilium’s EcoCathode™ NMC811-2036 CAM, derived from recycled battery materials processed at Altilium’s Devon facilities. These cathodes are slated for use in the production of NMC 811 battery pouch cells, which will undergo validation by a leading UK automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM). This collaboration supports the OEM’s regulatory and sustainability objectives.
The production process at UKBIC involves several critical steps:
- Mixing: Cathode materials are combined with a binder and NMP solvent to create a slurry. This ensures an even distribution of materials, which is essential for consistent electrode performance.
- Coating: The slurry is accurately coated onto a half-width aluminum foil current collector using a roll-to-roll process. Maintaining precise control over the thickness and uniformity of the coating is crucial for optimal battery performance.
Following these steps, the next phase will involve assembling the pouch cells at UKBIC. Comprehensive validation studies will then be conducted in collaboration with the UK automotive OEM. These battery cells will be the first manufactured at UKBIC to comply with the European Union’s new Battery Regulations, which mandate minimum levels of recycled lithium, nickel, and cobalt in new electric vehicle batteries starting in 2031.
Source: Altilium Tech
