EcoGraf Limited provided the positive findings from a research program completed by the Helmholtz Institute in Germany, where EcoGraf HFfreeTM proprietary processing technology has been used to purify graphite particles recovered from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. EcoGraf contributed its environmentally superior HFfree processing expertise to the research program and purified the recovered graphite particles to battery grade specification. The German Government funded program then compared the electrochemical performance of the recycled EcoGraf HFfreeTM graphite with a number of commercial battery graphite products.

The testing confirmed that the electrochemical performance of the EcoGraf HFfreeTM recovered graphite matches that of the brand-new commercial anode graphite. These results are further validation of the effectiveness of the EcoGraf HFfreeTM purification process for the production of high performance battery graphite, as well as the reuse of recycled battery anode material for anode, battery and electric vehicle customers. The Company is currently developing the world's first HFfree battery anode material facility in Western Australia and this research demonstrates the benefits of additionally leveraging the EcoGraf HFfreeTM process for graphite recycling.

EcoGraf believes this recycling capability will fundamentally change the dynamics of the battery supply chain, leading to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and lowering overall battery production costs. It uniquely positions the Company to support EU Commission requirements for lithium-ion battery recycling and will assist the global battery industry to optimise its supply chain and transition to closed-loop manufacturing efficiencies. The research program was undertaken in Germany, through a collaboration between the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology and the Helmholtz Institute Ulm.

The results were presented by Anna Vanderbruggen at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference on June 13, 2022. The conference is a leading forum for battery technologists from major automotive OEMs and their key suppliers to explore development trends and breakthrough technologies shaping the future of vehicle electrification. Anna is an acknowledged expert in anode recycling at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, with her research focussing on the joint recovery of lithium metal oxides and graphite from lithium-ion batteries.

She is working with EcoGraf to optimise its HFfree purification technology for recycling a range of lithium-ion battery anode materials.