Lithium & Minerals Recycling Pilot Plant
Industry: Lithium-ion Battery Recycling
Location: Victoria, Australia
Scale: Pilot Plant (pCAM, Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP)& Lithium Hydroxide extraction)
Background
Recovering lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese from spent Li-ion batteries through hydrometallurgical processes presents significant technical challenges. Achieving both high recovery yields and the production of these critical elements at battery-grade purity requires precise control of complex separation steps under harsh process conditions. These include highly corrosive low-pH environments, elevated temperatures, and the generation of hazardous by-products such as hydrofluoric acid (HF) and hydrogen gas (H₂). Furthermore, meeting the specific requirements for particle morphology and shape demands a deep understanding of mixing, dosing, and process dynamics at scale. Managing these factors while ensuring process safety, equipment integrity, and cost-effectiveness remains one of the key bottlenecks in scaling up sustainable battery recycling.
Project overview
Our expert process design team with an innovative startup designed, procured and commissioned a pilot-scale lithium and critical battery minerals recycling facility at Deakin University, Australia.
Challenges
- Handling toxic gas emissions (HF vapours and H₂ generation)
- Selecting materials that withstand low pH and high-temperature media
- Enabling in-place washing and purification of products
- Scaling up mixing while maintaining target particle shape and quality
Solutions
- Closed process chambers for tanks plus a dedicated gas scrubber with appropriate chemical dosing
- Advanced polymeric materials selected for tanks, piping, and linings to resist corrosion and heat
- Custom filtration system with integrated in-place washing for efficient product purification
- Scale-up mixing model maintaining consistent power-to-volume ratios to guide tank, impeller, and motor design
Results
The pilot plant was commissioned on schedule, delivering key outcomes:
• Stable end-to-end operation under low-pH, high-temperature conditions, validating process credibility.
• Toxic gases contained and neutralised: closed chambers plus scrubber kept HF/H₂ emissions within compliance limits.
• Materials selection proven: polymeric tanks, piping, and linings maintained integrity with zero corrosion-related downtime.
• In-place washing and purification achieved: custom filtration with in-situ wash delivered consistent, high-purity product and reduced cleaning time.
• Mixing scale-up validated: power-to-volume model produced target pCAM particle morphology with reproducible size distribution.
