Sumitomo Metal Mining has developed a new proprietary process to extract high-grade metals from used EV batteries. Tapping its expertise in copper refining, Sumitomo says it can cheaply extract copper, nickel, cobalt and lithium from used EV batteries by crushing them, heating the resulting powder to specific temperatures, and adjusting oxygen levels. Sumitomo says competitors,… Read more »
Sumitomo Metal Mining plans to build a new plant in Besshi, Japan, and will expand its Harima Refinery, in order to produce more cathode material. The company’s planned production capacity is 2,000 tons of cathode material per month, and its goal is 10,000 tons per month by 2027. The company says it is seeing higher… Read more »
“Just one word, young man: lithium!” As EV production ramps up, companies at all points in the supply line for the lightest metal are getting ready for new levels of demand, from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently warned that a “truly gargantuan battery factory” will soon be needed, to Panasonic, which is investing $200… Read more »