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Retriev Technologies

Battery recycling company for Lead Acid, NiCad & NiMH, Li-ion, Primary Lithium and Alkaline batteries. Today the company focus primarily on EV batteries recycling.

Published March 11, 2021 • Updated March 28, 2022
Retriev Technologies
Industrial Decarbonization
Power & Utilities
Electrification & Efficiency
Innovative Processes
Renewables & Energy Storage
Insights
Details
Materials

Product Overview

Overview

Retriev Technologies counts with over 25 years of experience, being one of the global leaders in battery recycling and management.

The US-based company recycles different types of batteries: Lead Acid, NiCad & NiMH, Lithium and Alkaline. With such an array of different types of batteries, they have developed an equally diverse array of technologies to ensure each battery component is recovered and treated efficiently.

Retriev Technologies claims to tailor each process depending on the structure, form-factor, and recoverable components from each battery type. Relying on an automated hydrometallurgical processes, pyrometallurgical processes, and even hands-on mechanical disassembly. The process may be different for each type of battery, but the aim is always the same: recycling that is both safe and produces the highest yield of recoverable materials.

The company works with different types and sizes of battery, disassembling these to cell-level before beginning the recycling process. Still, the company works mostly with EV batteries.

Last October, Retriev combined with Heritage Battery Recycling to form the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America. The deal expanded Retriev’s collection and transportation network through partnerships with Heritage Environmental Services (HES) and Heritage-Crystal Clean.

Business Model

Their sources of revenue are twofold.

  • From the residual materials that they create and sell through downstreams
  • Sometimes they will charge customers for their materials and sometimes they will pay for it. That depends on where commodities prices are. This is specially relevant with lithium prices.
Technology Innovations
  • Hydrometallurgical Process for Li-ion Mechanical process under water. Batteries are crushed and go through some screening, separate the plastic and a mix metal fraction of aluminum, copper and steel. Then collect the anode and cathode of batteries and filter that to create the “black mass” which has the nickel, lithium, cobalt and manganese from the batteries. This is done at ambient temperatures.

  • Leaching Retriev Technologies does not do leaching to treat the black mass directly in their facilities but made a partnership agreement with japanese company Marubeni Corporation to do so. In this way they are closing the loop of the recycling process.

  • Pyrometallurgical proecess for NiCad & NiMH For NiMH they get rid from the organic compounds of the batteries to make a residual nickel material that can be sold to stainless steel industry. For NiCad they recover cadmium and then also are left with the nickel residue which can also be sold to the same stainless steel industry as well.

Applications

Reducing hazardous waste & recovery of materials Retriev Technologies work with different battery chemistries:

  • Lead Acid Lead Acid batteries contain two primary components: Lead and Sulfuric Acid. Both components are completely recovered and treated using our EPA permitted process.

  • NiCad & NiMH NiCad and NiMH batteries share a similar recycling process. Through a proprietary pyrometallurgical process, battery components are converted into raw materials for new products.

  • Lithium Ion Lithium Ion batteries are processed through our proprietary combination of hydrometallurgical and material separation treatment techniques. Completely automated, we believe we have the safest Li-Ion recycling process in the world.

  • Primary Lithium Primary Lithium batteries are highly reactive, which is why our proprietary cryogenic process, which precedes any physical material separation, is essential to recycling these batteries in a safe and hazard free environment.

  • Alkaline Alkaline batteries consist of Zinc, Manganese, and Steel. All three components are recovered and put back into markets as secondary raw materials.

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