LICO Materials Graphite Recovery Process Supports EAM Anodes

LICO Materials Develops Graphite Recovery Process

LICO Materials has developed a process to recover graphite from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing scrap and supply the recovered material to Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM) as a secondary feedstock for graphite anode materials. The companies said the initiative represents India’s first such graphite recovery effort. Under the arrangement, LICO Materials will recover and supply the graphite, while EAM will process and qualify the material for its anode materials platform. The recovered graphite is intended for applications including electric vehicles, battery energy storage systems and other uses requiring graphite-based anode materials.

Recovered Graphite Targets Battery Anode Applications

Under the initiative, EAM will take the recovered graphite from LICO and process it for qualification within its anode materials platform. The companies are targeting applications across electric vehicles, battery energy storage systems and other relevant markets. Samples are expected to be available for customer validation by the end of 2026, creating a defined next stage for evaluating the recovered material. The qualification process will determine whether the secondary graphite feedstock can meet the requirements of EAM’s anode materials platform and support its intended downstream applications.

Graphite Recovery Could Supplement Virgin Supplies

Graphite represents about 20–30% of the weight of a lithium-ion battery, making it a significant material stream within battery manufacturing and end-of-life processing. LICO Materials and Epsilon Advanced Materials said recovering graphite from used batteries and manufacturing scrap could supplement virgin graphite supplies. They also said the approach could reduce dependence on imported material. By recovering graphite already contained in batteries and production scrap, the initiative focuses on creating a secondary feedstock stream rather than relying solely on newly sourced material for graphite anode applications.

India’s Graphite Recovery Initiative

The companies described the project as India’s first initiative of this type focused on recovering graphite from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing scrap for reuse as secondary feedstock. The arrangement connects material recovery by LICO with processing and qualification by EAM, creating a chain from recovered battery material to potential anode applications. The effort is centered on graphite supply for technologies including electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems, while the planned customer validation samples by the end of 2026 provide a milestone for assessing the recovered material’s suitability.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The initiative could strengthen India’s effort to develop secondary graphite supply streams for battery materials by connecting end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap with domestic anode-material processing. Its practical significance will depend on the recovered graphite meeting EAM’s qualification requirements and gaining customer validation, with samples expected by the end of 2026. If the recovered material proves suitable, the process could provide an additional source of graphite for electric vehicle and energy storage applications while potentially reducing reliance on imported material. LICO’s recovery role and EAM’s processing and qualification role therefore establish the next steps for evaluating the commercial usefulness of recycled graphite.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LICO Materials’ graphite recovery initiative?
LICO Materials’ initiative focuses on recovering graphite from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing scrap for use as secondary feedstock. The recovered graphite will be supplied to Epsilon Advanced Materials, which will process and qualify it for its anode materials platform. The companies said the initiative is India’s first such graphite recovery effort. Samples are expected to be available for customer validation by the end of 2026, while the companies say the approach could supplement virgin graphite supplies and reduce dependence on imported material.