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TECHNOLOGY

Patented, safe and innovative recycling process recovers critical minerals from lithium-ion batteries.

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Here’s how it works

Our two-step process can recover critical battery materials from lithium-ion batteries of all chemistries and form factors.

SAFE, SUBMERGED SHREDDING OF BATTERIES AND MANUFACTURING SCRAP

Step 1: Spokes

All types of lithium-ion batteries are shredded in a safe and efficient manner. ‘Generation 3’ Spoke utilizes patented technology to directly process full EV battery packs without discharging or dismantling. Our Spokes are designed to have:

  • Minimal solid and liquid waste
  • Zero combustion
  • Zero wastewater discharge
  • Relatively low air emissions

HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING TO PRODUCE CRITICAL BATTERY MATERIALS

Step 2: Hubs

Black mass is processed to produce critical materials for reuse in lithium-ion battery production or other applications in the broader economy. 

  • The Rochester Hub is expected to be North America’s first commercial hydrometallurgical resource recovery facility and a significant domestic source of recycled critical materials for producing lithium-ion batteries. Construction at the project is currently paused. 
  • The Portovesme Hub is expected to be a major source of recycled critical battery materials in Europe. Li-Cycle and Glencore are collaborating to assess the technical and economic viability of the new Hub facility, including a concept and pre-feasibility study.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Our Spoke & Hub Technologies™ bolster domestic battery supply chains to support energy independence.

By providing a valuable recycling solution, we create a secondary source of critical battery materials to help meet growing demand and ensure a robust and reliable energy system.

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Spoke & Hub Technologies
Full pack, full charged shredding capabilities

Generation 3 Spokes can process full pack EV batteries without the need to dismantle or discharge.

Efficient process

Our technology enables up to a 95% recovery rate to return critical materials back to the supply chain.

Battery form agnostic

We are able to safely receive and recycle all types of lithium-ion batteries regardless of form factor and state of charge, as well as all types of battery manufacturing scrap. We can also process damaged, defective or recalled batteries.

High-quality end products

Li-Cycle’s Hubs are expected to produce high-quality, critical battery materials, including battery-grade lithium carbonate.