BASF Catalysts offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products including advanced battery materials. BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products, including advanced battery materials. We believe mobility’s future lies in more than just products. So where others come to a full stop, we’re just getting started—by leveraging the full power of BASF to continually advance our comprehensive package of sustainable solutions that enable us to travel further, as well as above and beyond. A leading supplier of high performance cathode active materials (CAM) for electrified vehicles to battery producers and automotive OEMs around the world. Protecting the air we breathe from harmful emissions through innovation. BASF leverages unsurpassed expertise in the development of emission control technologies for a wide range of market applications. BASF is committed to advancing and promoting environmentally-sound technologies to achieve a sustainable future in aviation. Offering 50 years of experience developing intelligent solutions for air quality over a wide range of applications — enabling clean air for a healthier, more sustainable future. As the global leader in chemical catalysts, BASF develops cutting-edge catalyst chemistry with our customers’ needs in mind. We want to contribute to a world that provides a viable future with enhanced quality of life for everyone. We do so by creating chemistry for our customers and society and by making the best use of available resources. BASF offers the widest portfolio of adsorbent technologies for a broad spectrum of applications in industries such as refining, petrochemical, chemical, and gas processing. Syngas, produced from natural gas or coal, is a key intermediate in the emerging technologies for gas-to-liquids (GTL), methanol-to-olefins, coal-to-liquids and fuel cells. At BASF, our Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalyst and additive offerings together with our expert technical services build the right solution to create value within any unit’s constraints. Paving the way toward a brighter, more secure future. Manufacturing products for sustainable solutions, reducing emissions from our processes, and using non-fossil fueled energy sources – all of these efforts help lead BASF on a continuing journey of sustainability. BASF Natural Gas experts have a diverse portfolio of products to custom design a solution and help you meet your Natural Gas treatment needs. BASF has been serving the natural gas treatment market for over 60 years. Innovative, step-change technology with dual-purpose performance: removal of heavy hydrocarbons and water to cryogenic specifications in a single unit. With more than 150 years of experience in metal sourcing, trading, and hedging, we’ve built tangible results for our industrial customers. With more than 100 years of experience in recycling materials, BASF’s end-to-end recycling program is known and trusted around the globe. As a leader in precious-metal thermocouples for many years, BASF recently applied its technological expertise to optical-based temperature measurement. Developing and producing pharmaceutical ingredients for more than 75 years, enabling us to provide the solutions you need to meet today's and tomorrow's challenges for your pharmaceutical business. Find the latest news and media information for BASF’s Catalysts division, headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, USA, the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. Explore this collection of resources to learn more about our innovative research and Catalyst solutions.
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BASF and Tenova Advanced Technologies enter into a joint development agreement for efficient recycling of lithium-ion batteries

  • Process for recovering all valuable metals, including lithium, from “black mass” resulting from the mechanical upstream battery recycling process
  • Tenova’s proprietary technology allows efficient recovery of lithium from end-of-life batteries and battery production scrap
  • BASF will implement the innovative process in its battery recycling prototype plant in Schwarzheide, Germany

Ludwigshafen, Germany and Yokneam, Israel – February 22, 2023 – BASF, a leading battery materials producer, has entered into a long-term collaboration agreement with Tenova Advanced Technologies (TAT) of Yokneam, Israel, for its battery recycling prototype plant in Schwarzheide, Germany.

Both companies agreed to jointly optimize the hydrometallurgical recycling process, leveraging TAT’s novel process for the recovery and production of lithium, which includes lithium solvent extraction (LiSX™) and lithium electrolysis (LiEL™).

The process development activities include pilot campaigns at TAT’s R&D center and the design and fabrication of a prototype plant to be operated at BASF’s facilities in Schwarzheide, Germany. Startup of the prototype plant is targeted for later this year. Irad Rekem, TAT Managing Director, stated: “We are proud to bring our expertise and innovative technologies to this collaborative effort with BASF to recycle end-of-life batteries. This will be a recycling process that will demonstrate efficient metal recovery and production of lithium salts based on solvent extraction.”

“Using recycled metals for production of new battery materials can reduce the CO2 emission impact of batteries by about 25 percent compared to the use of virgin metals,” said Daniel Schönfelder, Senior Vice President Battery Base Metals and Recycling at BASF. “We will close the loop from end-of-life batteries to new battery production and will ensure an exceptionally low CO2 footprint for key metals needed to meet the growing demand for eMobility. By collaborating with Tenova we can assess new approaches in further optimizing the recycling process.”

TAT is part of Tenova, a global company specialized in sustainable solutions for the green transition of the metals industry, and it is also highly experienced in hydrometallurgy and project-specific process technologies.

Successful startup and operation of the prototype plant is an important milestone in BASF’s strategy to grow its footprint in recycling and recovering valuable metals, including nickel, cobalt, and lithium.

The investment in Schwarzheide reinforces BASF’s support of the European Commission’s agenda towards a European battery production value chain and is part of the “Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI)” approved by the European Commission on December 9, 2019 under the European Union State aid rules. The launch of innovative battery materials from the Schwarzheide plant and research to develop next-generation battery materials and process development, including battery recycling, is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag and by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Energy of the State of Brandenburg on the basis of a resolution of the Brandenburg State Parliament as part of the IPCEI for Batteries: Funding codes 16BZF101A/B.

About BASF’s Catalysts division

BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. It offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world, and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products, including advanced battery materials. By leveraging our industry-leading R&D platforms, passion for innovation and deep knowledge of precious and base metals, BASF’s Catalysts division develops unique, proprietary solutions that drive customer success. Further information on BASF’s Catalysts division is available on the Internet at www.catalysts.basf.com.

About Tenova Advanced Technologies

Tenova Advanced Technologies (TAT) offers differentiated, project-specific process technologies based on decades of research, equipment design and project execution experience. Advanced solutions include solvent extraction (SX) for hydrometallurgical processing, electrowinning (EW), membrane circuits, expertise in minerals beneficiation, phosphate processing from ore to purified phosphoric acid and salts, and lithium recovery and production processes developed in TAT’s in-house state-of-the-art R&D facilities. For more information, visit www.tenova.com.

Andres Christian Orthofer

Communications Manager

+49 174 3480213

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BASF und Tenova Advanced Technologies schließen Vereinbarung zur gemeinsamen Entwicklung eines effizientem Recyclingverfahrens für Lithium-IonenBatterien

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