Recycled Battery Materials
Battery usage is growing, and with it, the looming issue of how to recycle all that battery waste. Bepex is working with recyclers to reclaim valuable chemicals from spent batteries.
Powering Battery Recycling and Material Recovery
Our world is increasingly powered by batteries. But batteries don’t last forever and when they’re spent, they need to be recycled. The good news: Some 90 percent or more of critical raw materials can be recovered. The even better news: Bepex is there to help, working with recyclers on cutting-edge solutions to reclaim lithium and other battery materials.
Better Battery Recycling
Battery recycling involves shredding the battery, using chemicals to dissolve the raw materials, filtering to isolate and separate the lithium and other materials, then drying them for reclamation. That’s where Bepex steps in. Our PCX flash dryer dries, micronizes, and classifies the reclaimed materials in a single unit, producing a fine, bone-dry powder.
Solving Tough Recovery Challenges
Battery recycling at scale is a new technology and new challenges are emerging as it develops. Metal scrap is abrasive. Volatile solvents may be involved. Proprietary extraction methods often have unique processing requirements. With the industry’s widest range of drying, devolatilizing and other technologies and decades of experience leveraging them to create new products , Bepex is the ideal partner in development of your recycling process.
A Trusted Development Resource
The Bepex Process Development Center works with battery recyclers to test and prove out equipment, systems and process design. We’re often involved in creating proprietary new technologies for our customers. So we’ve proven that we’re able to provide and maintain the security, integrity, and confidentiality of your development plans, materials and processes.
Proven Processes. Better Processing.
Drying
Moisture levels are critical in the construction of batteries, as well as the production of the materials that go into them. Whether it’s removing water to the parts-per-million or billion range, or safely removing a volatile solvent, recycling operations need a drying technology expert that can help. Bepex offers the industry’s broadest range of drying technologies, so Bepex can create the exact drying solution you need.
Micronizing Fine Grinding
Particle size is a critical property for recovered lithium. Battery grade lithium is commonly spec’d at a D(50) of 3-5 micron to provide optimal performance. Bepex offers advanced small particle grinding and micronizing systems, solutions and engineering support for tough small particle challenges. Made and supported in the USA, we’re the expert’s choice for hitting exacting product specifications.
Continuous Devolatization
The recycling process entails adding a variety of solvents or other volatile organics to extract and separate the raw materials. Rather than going through a variety of washing steps, Bepex drying technology can take volatile laden solids, evaporate the solvent safely for collection, and output a dry solid, whether as final product or for further treatment.
PCX
The PCX dispersion flash dryer processes high-moisture materials including non-pumpable wet cakes, pastes and slurries into a fine powder or small granules. No extra dilution is required for processing, meaning faster drying, less energy use, and lower emissions.
Solidaire
The Solidaire thin layer paddle dryer offers the highest heat transfer coefficient available. Process dry or wet solids, liquids, slurries, cakes or pastes more efficiently, with more control, at lower cost. Solidaire applications include drying, devolatilizing, reacting, cooling, and crystallizing.
TorusDisc
The TorusDisc dryer is designed for high heat loads and long residence times. The TorusDisc provides maximum heat transfer and complete processing control in a compact footprint, making it ideal for drying, reacting, crystallizing, and heating or cooling processes.
Closing the Loop on Battery Production
Working with Manufacturers and Recyclers to Improve Sustainability
At Bepex, we’re committed to helping customers develop the technology needed to transform waste and other processing byproducts to value-added new products. We also develop and supply processes and equipment used in producing lithium and synthetic graphite for EV batteries. Those experiences naturally led us to innovations in recycling and reclaiming lithium and other materials from spent batteries. Working with battery manufacturers and battery recyclers, we are creating the future of sustainable battery production and recycling by helping to design a sustainable supply chain using both new and reclaimed feedstock.
Explore Our Resources
Process Development
Feasibility
All new inquiries begin with a feasibility study. These studies aim to provide preliminary insights into the viability of a commercial process. Using as little as 100 grams of material, we can begin early process design, develop plans for pilot-testing and/or confirmation, and begin providing early economic estimates. Our experience across our wide range of technologies gives us a unique ability to provide quick feedback on the feasibility of your process.
Development
From our learnings, we’ll begin the process development work. The primary work in this phase takes place in the form of pilot-scale testing in our Process Development Center. Our pilot tests look a bit different than what you may have experienced in the past. Each test is designed to measure the system performance and feasibility rather than that of any single machine.
Each system is custom assembled for each test. Our goal is to provide as much of a pilot-scale simulation as possible while gathering scale-up data to deliver on commercial capacities. When a certain technology proves ineffective, we’ll draw from our range of options to determine if there is a better fit. The Process Development Center is our sandbox to build, test, and revise to ensure we get every detail right.
Budget Evaluation
With a successful pilot simulation completed, we now have everything we need to scale up and provide proposals for capital equipment with included performance guarantees.
System Design And Build
After receipt of the purchase order, we begin with both equipment and system engineering. Each proprietary technology we sell is custom-designed and built per application. We do not have any off-the-shelf units. At this stage, your exact system begins to take shape, including auxiliary equipment, process flow diagrams, process and instrumentation diagrams, safety provisions, and more.
Commissioning
After delivery and installation of your new system, Bepex will provide a mechanical check to ensure everything is placed according to plan. This is followed shortly thereafter by system commissioning. This is where our pilot-scale simulations become invaluable, as our team of application engineers, controls technicians, and sales engineers begin working with your team to successfully bring your system online.
Support
At this point, you’re up and running at rate, producing a quality product, but our work doesn’t stop there.
Following commissioning, Bepex remains a reliable partner, providing quality OEM parts, immediate field service, process optimization, training, system troubleshooting, and more. We have consistently had high customer retention rates, and we believe it is due in large part to our comprehensive approach to serving our customers long after the original sale.
Working Together to Revolutionize Battery Recycling
Learn more about how Bepex works with battery manufacturers and recyclers to transform battery production. Contact a Bepex processing expert.
