In February, I had the opportunity to share my perspective on battery material testing standards in Avicenne Energy’s Expert Corner. This is an abbreviated version of the article:
Right now, the lithium battery value chain has a blind spot: there’s no consistent, industrywide way to measure what’s actually in black mass or recycled battery materials.
That’s a problem because quality varies a lot.
Black mass isn’t a single product. Its value and usability depend on battery type, origin, and chemistry. A smartphone battery looks nothing like a power-tool battery, and neither resembles an EV pack. Small-format batteries tend to be cobalt-heavy. EV production scrap can contain more than 18 different metals. All of that matters once the material moves downstream.
Different recycling paths demand different feedstock quality. Pyrometallurgy (high-temperature smelting) is relatively forgiving. Hydrometallurgy, which relies on aqueous chemistry and leaching, is not. It requires consistent, well-characterized material. And even after processing, battery-grade outputs still need validation by cell manufacturers before they can be reused.
Classification Starts With Measurement
A presentation at the Battery Association for Supply Chain proposed a black-mass classification system based on nickel and cobalt content, with subclasses tied to battery type and origin.
It’s a solid idea. But classification only works if measurement comes first.
Today, there are no accepted standards for measuring elemental composition in black mass or battery materials, whether in the lab or in real time on the production floor. This is a clear opportunity for the chemical industry to step in with proven methods and standardized approaches.
Four Testing Methods Worth Paying Attention To
Several analytical techniques are already being used, each with different strengths:
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ICP-OES offers fast, accurate measurement of both high-value elements (Co, Ni, Mn, Li) and contaminants (Fe, Cu, Zn) using small samples.
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LIBS paired with AI algorithms enables rapid, quantitative analysis—especially useful for sorting material from mixed battery streams.
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Microwave digestion delivers reproducible bulk composition data, which can help validate recycling steps like mechanical pretreatment and drying.
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LALI-TOF-MS, a newer technique, analyzes materials under vacuum with no wet chemistry—ideal for air-sensitive materials and production environments.
If you’ve ever toured a specialty chemical lab, you’ve seen this kind of rigor before: particle size, moisture, thermal stability, strength testing. Battery materials are no different. At the end of the day, this industry is about more than recycling batteries. The focus is on manufacturing validated specialty chemicals for cell production, which means standards aren’t optional anymore.