BASF to produce cathode materials with recycled content for Nanotech Energy

Cathode producer BASF is partnering with US-based Nanotech Energy and battery recycling American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) to use cathode materials based on recycled content in Nanotech's graphene based lithium-ion batteries.

The recycled material will come from Nanotech Enery's own scrap and off-spec material from its pilot operation in Chico, California. This mateiral will then be recycled by ABTC which will produce nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium chemicals which will then be used by the Japanese precorsor and cathode producer TODA, in their plant in Ontario in Canada. The precursors will be made to cathode materials by BASF in Michigan and finally be used in Nanotech Energy cells.

The project will most probably be limited in scale as only scrap from pilot production is used and should be viewed as a proof of concept.

American Battery Technology Company has previously been part of BASF's accelerator program. This project is the first publicly announced joint projects between the companies.