How ALS2 supports closed-loop cobalt recovery from batteries
Cobalt is a valuable component of many lithium-ion batteries, particularly chemistries used in electric vehicles, portable electronics and energy storage systems. Its supply chain faces pressure from rising demand, limited primary resources and the environmental cost of mining and refining. Recovering cobalt from spent batteries can reduce dependence on virgin materials while keeping an important secondary resource in circulation.
The ALS2 project, developed by Ikoi S.p.A., focuses on acidless separation technology for precious-metal recovery from electronic waste and WEEE streams. Its principles are also relevant to battery recycling, where complex feedstocks must be processed safely and efficiently before valuable metals can return to manufacturing.
A closed-loop model requires more than collecting used batteries. It depends on controlled dismantling, safe treatment, selective separation, quality assessment and the production of usable secondary raw materials. By supporting cleaner separation routes and compact recovery systems, ALS2 can contribute to the infrastructure needed for cobalt recovery within a circular battery economy.
Why cobalt matters in battery recycling
Cobalt helps stabilise the cathode structure of several lithium-ion battery chemistries and can improve energy density and performance. Although manufacturers are reducing cobalt content in some cell designs, the metal remains present in large volumes of batteries already in use. These historical and current stocks create a significant opportunity for urban mining.
Spent batteries contain a mixture of valuable and hazardous materials, including cobalt, nickel, copper, aluminium, lithium, graphite, plastics and electrolyte residues. Their composition varies by cell format, manufacturer and chemistry. A recycling process must therefore handle a heterogeneous feedstock while preventing short circuits, thermal events, contamination and the loss of fine metal particles.
The value of recovered cobalt depends on its purity, consistency and suitability for downstream use. Simply extracting a cobalt-bearing fraction is not enough. A circular process should create an intermediate or refined material that can be assessed, traded and incorporated into new industrial applications. This is where effective separation technology becomes central to the closed-loop model.
From spent cells to a cobalt-bearing feedstock
Battery recycling normally begins with collection, sorting and discharge. Modules and packs are dismantled, and components are separated according to size, chemistry and condition. Mechanical processing can then reduce the material into fractions such as ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, plastics and fine active material commonly known as black mass.
Black mass contains the electrode materials associated with cobalt, nickel, manganese, lithium and graphite. It may also contain copper, aluminium and residual binders. Before a targeted recovery stage, the feedstock needs suitable preparation so that unwanted materials do not reduce separation efficiency or compromise the quality of the output.
ALS2’s relevance lies in its focus on separating valuable materials from complex waste without relying on conventional acid-based refining as the default route. In a battery-recycling facility, an acidless approach could complement mechanical pre-treatment and help process selected metal-rich fractions. The exact process configuration would depend on battery chemistry, particle size, contamination levels and the required cobalt product.
| Recycling stage | Main purpose | Contribution to a closed loop |
|---|---|---|
| Collection and sorting | Identify battery types and isolate unsafe or unsuitable items | Reduces contamination and improves feedstock control |
| Discharge and dismantling | Remove stored energy and separate packs, modules and cells | Protects workers and equipment while recovering components |
| Mechanical pre-treatment | Produce concentrated metal and active-material fractions | Prepares a more consistent stream for selective recovery |
| Acidless separation | Separate target materials with reduced dependence on aggressive acids | Supports cleaner processing and resource efficiency |
| Product qualification | Measure composition, purity and consistency | Makes recovered cobalt suitable for downstream users |
| Reintroduction into manufacturing | Supply secondary cobalt or cobalt-bearing materials | Closes the material loop and reduces primary extraction |
How acidless separation can support the loop
Traditional hydrometallurgical recycling often uses strong acids and additional reagents to dissolve metals before separating them from the resulting solution. Such processes can be effective, but they may involve corrosion-resistant equipment, reagent management, wastewater treatment and the handling of chemical residues. These requirements can increase the environmental and operational burden of a recycling plant.
ALS2 presents acidless separation as a cleaner alternative for recovering valuable metals from electronic waste. Applied appropriately to battery-related streams, this approach may reduce reliance on aggressive chemical dissolution and simplify certain parts of the treatment chain. Lower chemical intensity can support safer working conditions, reduced effluent generation and easier integration into compact facilities.
The technology should be understood as part of a process train rather than a replacement for every recycling operation. Battery packs still require safe collection, discharge and dismantling. Feedstock preparation remains important, and some materials may require complementary thermal, mechanical or chemical steps. The strength of an acidless route is its potential to recover targeted materials while avoiding unnecessary treatment of the entire waste stream.
For cobalt, selective recovery is particularly important because the metal is mixed with other active materials and structural components. A separation system must concentrate cobalt without creating a contaminated output that has little value to cathode or precursor producers. Process control, sampling and product verification are therefore essential elements of the technology’s circularity potential.
Building a safer and more efficient plant
A closed-loop recovery plant must balance material yield with safety, energy use, capital cost and operating complexity. Compact systems can be valuable when they enable local or regional treatment of batteries and WEEE, reducing the need to transport hazardous waste over long distances. They can also help smaller operators access advanced recovery capabilities without building a large central refinery.
The ALS2 project’s development of compact precious-metal recovery plants provides a useful framework for this type of decentralised model. Battery recyclers could use a modular process architecture in which collection, pre-treatment and selected separation steps are located close to waste generation points. Concentrated products could then be sent to specialised facilities for final refining or manufacturing.
Safety remains a defining requirement. Lithium-ion batteries may contain residual electrical energy and can enter thermal runaway when damaged or incorrectly handled. Any facility using an acidless separation process would still need fire prevention, gas monitoring, ventilation, dust control and robust procedures for damaged cells. Cleaner chemistry does not remove the need for disciplined industrial safety.
Efficiency also depends on minimising losses between process stages. Recovering cobalt from a black-mass stream is less effective if significant quantities remain attached to aluminium foils, copper fragments or fine dust. Good front-end sorting and controlled size reduction can therefore increase the value of the downstream separation technology.
Measuring environmental and circular benefits
The performance of cobalt recovery should be assessed through the full process, not through extraction yield alone. Relevant indicators include the quantity of cobalt recovered, the purity of the output, energy consumption, water use, reagent demand, emissions, waste residues and the percentage of material diverted from disposal.
An acidless process can potentially reduce the need for corrosive inputs and the wastewater treatment associated with acid leaching. It may also support lower-impact operations where the feedstock is already concentrated and does not require extensive dissolution. These benefits must be verified through pilot testing, life-cycle assessment and comparison with realistic conventional alternatives.
Traceability is another requirement for a credible closed loop. Recyclers need to document the origin of the batteries, the treatment route, the composition of the recovered material and the destination of the product. This information supports regulatory compliance and gives battery manufacturers confidence that secondary cobalt meets their technical and responsible-sourcing requirements.
The European Union’s support through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme reflects the wider policy objective behind projects such as ALS2: improving resource efficiency, reducing waste and strengthening Europe’s capacity to recover strategic materials. Cobalt recycling fits this objective because it links waste management with industrial resilience and a lower dependence on primary mining.
Connecting recovered cobalt with new products
A material loop is complete only when recovered cobalt reaches a new product or manufacturing process. Depending on its quality, the output may be used as a cobalt-bearing intermediate, a feedstock for precursor production or a raw material for other industrial applications. Refiners and cell manufacturers need predictable chemistry, reliable supply volumes and documentation before they can substitute recycled material for virgin inputs.
Battery chemistry is changing, and cobalt demand may vary as manufacturers adopt lower-cobalt or cobalt-free cathodes. This makes flexible recycling infrastructure especially important. A plant designed to recover several metals from mixed electronic and battery streams can remain useful even as individual product compositions evolve.
ALS2 can support this flexibility by promoting separation methods that focus on recovering value from complex waste rather than treating waste as a single uniform category. The same operating philosophy can help integrate battery fractions with selected WEEE streams, provided that safety, compatibility and product quality are carefully controlled.
For manufacturers, the benefit is a more resilient supply chain. For recyclers, it is the opportunity to extract greater value from difficult feedstocks. For communities and regulators, it can mean less hazardous waste, more efficient use of resources and a clearer route from discarded devices to new materials.
Practical priorities for implementation
Organisations assessing cobalt recovery with an acidless separation route should focus on the following priorities:
- Characterise incoming batteries by chemistry, format, cobalt content and contamination before selecting the process configuration.
- Combine safe dismantling and mechanical concentration with selective downstream separation to protect yield and equipment.
- Define product specifications for recovered cobalt or cobalt-bearing intermediates before scaling the plant.
- Measure chemical use, energy demand, emissions, residues and water consumption through pilot trials and life-cycle analysis.
- Establish traceability from collection through recovery, quality testing and delivery to the next manufacturing stage.
The most effective closed-loop systems will be designed around cooperation between battery producers, collection networks, recyclers, refiners and material users. Technology provides the separation capability, but contracts, quality standards and reliable reverse logistics determine whether the recovered cobalt remains in circulation.
ALS2 demonstrates how acidless separation can contribute to a broader resource-recovery strategy. Its focus on safer processing and compact precious-metal recovery offers a foundation for considering how complex battery and WEEE streams can be transformed into valuable secondary materials. Explore the ALS2 project to follow its technology development and its role in creating cleaner, more resource-efficient recycling pathways.