The ZirKat project – circulating raw materials from lithium iron phosphate cathode material (LFP) – has been running at the Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences since August 2024. Its goal is to recover raw materials from lithium iron phosphate batteries and use them to manufacture new lithium-ion batteries. The university coordinated the project through its Thuringian Innovation Center for Recyclable Materials (ThIWert). It is responsible for mechanical processes such as shredding or sorting battery components. K-UTEC from Sondershausen, for its part, is responsible for the chemical work packages, while Weimar-based IBU-tec is handling the thermal aspects. Analytik Jena monitors the quality of the raw materials, allowing EAS Batteries of Nordhausen, Germany, to verify their ability to be reused in batteries. Other companies and institutions in the region have expressed interest in the project and want to be part of the ThüLiBaRec (Thuringian Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling) consortium. (maa)
