Overview
- Rice University reports lithium hydroxide purity above 99% with nearly 90% average lithium recovery over a 1,000-hour run.
- Measured energy use ranges from 103 to 536 kilojoules per kilogram of waste in different modes, far below typical acid-leaching routes cited by the team.
- A 20-square-centimeter cell processed 57 grams of industrial black mass supplied by TotalEnergies during durability testing.
- The method handled multiple cathode chemistries and demonstrated roll-to-roll processing of intact lithium iron phosphate electrodes directly from aluminum foil without pretreatment.
- Researchers identify next steps that include larger-area stacks, higher black-mass loading, more selective hydrophobic membranes, and efficient concentration and crystallization of the lithium hydroxide product.