Refining black mass and residual streams – Recovering Valuable Resources

Black mass as the final product? Not with us. Our hydrometallurgical processes create high-value raw materials.

Many recyclers regard black mass—the hazardous waste generated during the mechanical processing of batteries and accumulators—as the final step of recycling. We take a different approach. At Nickelhütte Aue, we further refine black mass to recover high-quality raw materials. In addition, we process waste and residual streams from mechanical battery treatment facilities as well as production waste from cell manufacturing.

Black mass is produced during the mechanical treatment of batteries and accumulators and contains valuable elements such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium. In its raw form, it cannot be used directly in cell production and must therefore be further refined. While many recyclers simply resell black mass, we refine it in-house to recover high-value raw materials.

Residual streams also arise as by-products of mechanical pre-treatment processes, such as foil fractions and contaminated metal fractions. These materials still contain valuable metals, which we recover through further processing and feed back into the production cycle.

During the production of new battery cells, various types of waste containing valuable materials are generated. We process powders, foils, dusts, and slurries from this stage to produce new chemical compounds.

The process begins with a thermal treatment to concentrate valuable materials. This is followed by hydrometallurgical processing, which enables us to extract valuable metals from black mass and residual streams and make them available for new battery production.

Although black mass and residual streams may initially appear to be waste products, they offer significant potential when treated with the right expertise and technologies. At Nickelhütte Aue, these valuable materials remain fully within the circular economy. Through in-house refining, we convert black mass and residual streams directly into high-value raw materials that can be reused in battery production. This approach creates added value for our customers while simultaneously strengthening the European raw materials market. Whereas many recyclers export black mass for further processing, we provide an all-inclusive, single-source solution that is both efficient and sustainable. In doing so, we meet the requirements of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and actively contribute to a responsible circular economy in Europe.

What sets Nickelhütte Aue apart from many other European recyclers is our hydrometallurgical expertise. This process enables the targeted extraction of valuable metals. Through multiple leaching, purification, and crystallization steps, we recover high-purity nickel, cobalt, copper, and lithium salts. These salts form the direct basis for the production of new lithium-ion batteries. Hydrometallurgical processes have been established for centuries, but our research department continuously improves them to increase efficiency, purity, and sustainability.

Why is this so important?

• Resource conservation: By feeding recovered metals back into the production cycle, we implement true closed-loop recycling and prevent the loss or export of valuable materials outside the European Union.
• Supply chain compliance: The entire process—from material intake to the extraction of new raw materials—takes place regionally, under fair and safe conditions. This strengthens local supply chains and increases their resilience.
• Customer benefit: Companies benefit from a comprehensive, all-inclusive solution that fully refines black mass, residual streams, and production waste, adheres to strict safety standards, and reintegrates recovered materials directly into the production cycle.