PF Metals lithium-ion battery recycling

PF Metals recently launched a facility that recycles all types of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Through this innovation, the company can recover 97% of the battery waste stream, including copper, aluminium, cobalt, nickel, lithium and plastics, which all go back into streams to create new products. Cobalt, nickel and lithium, which are in dust form and mixed, go for further processing and can be separated and purified to be used again in battery manufacture, closing the loop on around 27% of the battery’s weight.

The process requires batteries to have all their energy discharged prior to any handling by the company’s staff. After this first step, all batteries are granulated in an environment of negative pressure to ensure that all airborne dust particles are captured. Once the granulated material reaches the desired size, it flows from the machine along conveyors, removing any steel and plastics to produce a clean copper and aluminium granule.

PF Metals can offer a full recycling program for all industrial sectors which have the issue of these batteries at end of life. The company can supply a turnkey solution for national collectors to ensure battery transport, resource recovery and return is conducted responsibly and sustainably.