Selective bromine-based lithium recovery from battery materials

This technology is a bromine-based recycling method that selectively extracts lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries, enabling efficient lithium recovery without co-leaching transition metals or requiring hazardous reagents.

Unmet Need: Efficient and selective lithium recovery from battery waste

Current lithium-ion battery recycling processes rely on harsh acid-oxidant mixtures such as sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. These reagents are hazardous, require special handling, and dissolve all metals simultaneously, resulting in complex and energy-intensive separation steps. As lithium demand grows and battery waste accumulates, a safer and more selective recycling method is needed to recover lithium efficiently while reducing environmental and operational costs.

The Technology: Simplified, selective lithium extraction process using bromine

This technology introduces a cleaner, more targeted, bromine-based method for recovering lithium from used lithium-ion batteries. Using a bromine-based solution dissolves lithium from common cathode materials while leaving valuable transition metals behind. The resulting lithium bromide solution can be processed to recover lithium for reuse, and the bromine reagent can be recycled, resulting in a more sustainable and circular process. Overall, this approach streamlines recycling, reduces chemical waste, and lowers the cost and complexity of lithium recovery.

Applications:

  • Lithium-ion battery recycling
  • Recovery of battery-grade lithium
  • Closed-loop battery manufacturing
  • Research on sustainable recycling methods

Advantages:

  • Selective lithium extraction
  • Closed-loop reagent recovery
  • Lower cost and safer than acid-based methods
  • Broad cathode compatibility

Lead Inventor:

Daniel Steingart, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending (WO/2025/188884)

Related Publications:

Tech Ventures Reference: