Telescope Innovations Produces Battery-Grade Lithium from Recycled Waste

According to a company announcement, Telescope Innovations Corp. has successfully produced high-purity lithium carbonate from recycled battery waste streams, marking a major step toward sustainable battery materials. The achievement, reported by the company, represents the first time its proprietary ReCRFT™ process has been applied by Telescope to recycling black mass leach solutions.

The company explained that its method isolates lithium from complex waste solutions and converts it into >99.9% pure lithium carbonate, a material directly suitable for use in cathode production for lithium iron phosphate and nickel-based batteries. This builds upon proof-of-concept work completed in April 2024, now scaled to produce recycled lithium carbonate fit for industrial testing.

Dr. Jason Hein, Chief Technology Officer of Telescope Innovations, said the company’s goal was to design a pathway for recycling aligned with real-world economic and technical demands. “Our team has now executed that vision with a process that yields battery-grade material ready for downstream testing,” he noted.

The first samples of recycled lithium carbonate have already been delivered to Cellmine, a next-generation battery recycling firm, and to Professor John Irvine’s research group at the University of St Andrews, according to the company. Both partners will use the material to fabricate and test lithium-ion batteries, validating its performance in real-world applications. Cellmine CEO Simon Rathbone commented that access to high-purity recycled lithium is “a critical step in scaling sustainable cathode production.”

According to company data, lithium recovered from black mass can account for 16% to 55% of the total metal value in end-of-life batteries, underscoring its strategic importance. Yet industry experts note that efficient large-scale recovery solutions remain limited, creating a bottleneck for the recycling sector. With global electric vehicle demand projected to expand sharply over the coming decade, securing reliable supplies of high-grade recycled lithium is becoming a critical priority for both manufacturers and policymakers.

According to industry reports and policy analyses, Telescope’s approach may also align with evolving regulatory frameworks in North America and Europe. Initiatives such as the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act and the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act emphasize the need for domestic, circular supply chains that reduce dependence on mined lithium and strengthen resource security.

By directly connecting its laboratory process with commercial recyclers and academic researchers, Telescope is positioning itself as an early mover in enabling circular economy practices within the battery supply chain. If successfully scaled, the company’s ReCRFT™ process could help mitigate raw material shortages, improve supply resilience, and lower the carbon footprint of cathode production.

Source: Telescope Innovations Corp.