About Umicore company

1. Umicore Company
Umicore N.V.. formerly Union Minière, is a multinational materials technology company
headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
Umicore has since reshaped itself into a more technology-focused business encompassing such
areas as the refining and recycling of precious metals and the manufacture of specialised
products from precious metals, cobalt, germanium, zinc, and other metals.
All of Medtronic’s rechargeable batteries are lithium ion—we’ve been doing this since
2004,” said Caldwell during her presentation. The recharging of implanted batteries is all
inductive.
Lithium ion batteries come in all sizes. Some of the tiniest are used in the medical field to
power bioengineering devices. Often, these devices are implanted within the body to
help monitor and maintain health.
CEO:- Mark Grynberg
Operations:-
Umicore now "generates the majority of its revenues from clean technologies, such
as recycling, emission control catalysts, materials for rechargeable batteries, and photovoltaics".
Business divisions[edit]
The company divides its operations into four divisions: Energy Materials, Recycling, Catalysis,
and Performance Materials.
Energy Materials
The Energy Materials division manufactures a range of specialised metal and metalloid products
for industrial use, including fine metal powders for diamond and hard metal tools, as well
as oxides and salts of cobalt, lithium and nickel for use in batteries, glass and ceramics.[22]
The
division also produces and markets products of germanium, both in compounds
for doping optical fibres, semiconductor wafers and infrared optics.[22]
The unit is headquartered
at the company's plant in Olen near Antwerp, with production and commercial facilities in a
number of countries worldwide.
Recycling
The Recycling business segment covers four main activities: its core business is
the recycling and refining of various precious and other non-ferrous metals, as well as
certain nonmetals such as selenium.[24]
Umicore is the world's largest recycler of precious
metals.[25]
Most of the materials (around two-thirds in terms of refining charges)[26]
put through the
refining process are by-products from the production of non-ferrous metals, such as dross, matte,
and speiss from the zinc smelting industry and anode sludge built up during electrolysis.[27]
Other
sources of materials used for recycling include slag, spent fuel cells, automotive and
industrial catalysts and scrap electronic equipment.[24]
Production is headquartered at Umicore's
precious metals facility in Hoboken near Antwerp, with other plants in Germany and the United
States.[28]
Battery Recycling is a second business unit, focused on the recycling of spent rechargeable
batteries from laptops, mobile phones, and hybrid electric vehicles.
Catalysis:-

2. Umicore's third business segment, its largest in terms of revenue,[2]
is composed of two
subdivisions, Automotive Catalysts and Precious Metals Chemistry. In automotive catalysts, a
field in which the company had begun research in 1968,[31]
the company ranks third in global
market share[32]
behind BASF Catalysts (formerly Engelhard) and Johnson Matthey. Umicore
increased its presence in the sector with the June 2007 purchase of the catalyst division of
troubled American auto parts manufacturer Delphi for $55.6 million.
Our recycling process
By combining a unique pyro-metallurgical treatment and a state-of-the-art hydro-metallurgical
process, Umicore is able to recycle all types and all sizes of Li-ion and NiMH batteries in the
most sustainable way.
The Umicore pyro-metallurgical phase converts the batteries into 3 fractions:
 An alloy, containing the valuable metals Cobalt, Nickel and Copper designed for the downstream
hydro-metallurgical process.
 A slag fraction which can be used in the construction industry or further processed for metal
recovery. The slag from Li-ion batteries can be integrated in standard Li recovery flowsheets
trough a cooperation with external partners. The slag from NiMH batteries can be processed to a
Rare Earth Elements concentrate that is then further refined through a cooperation with Solvay.
 Clean air, released from the stack after it has been treated by the UHT’s unique gas cleaning
process.
The pyro-metallurgical step deploys Umicore’s unique UHT technology. The UHT technology
is pushing the boundaries for recycling and sets a new standard in Best Available Technology for
metallurgical recycling processes. It is designed to safely treat large volumes of different types of
complex metal based waste streams. It differentiates itself from other recycling technologies, by
 A higher metal recovery compared to existing processes and the output of directly marketable
products.
 Direct feeding of the batteries, which avoids the need for any potentially hazardous pre-treatment
 The gas cleaning system, which guarantees that all organic compounds are fully decomposed
and that no harmful dioxins or volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) are produced. Fluorine is
safely captured in the flue dust.
 Reducing the consumption of energy and CO2 emissions to a minimum by using the energy
present inside the battery components (electrolyte, plastics and metals).
 Generating close to zero waste
By recovering strategic elements like Cobalt and Lithium from end-of-life batteries, Umicore is
leading the way towards a circular economy, providing solutions to the growing demand for
sustainably sourced materials.
With an installed capacity of 7.000 metric tons per year,the UHT furnace in Hoboken is one of
the largest dedicated recycling installations for Li-ion and NiMH batteries in the world.
7.000 mt =
± 250.000.000 mobile phone batteries
± 2.000.000 E-bike batteries
± 35.000 EV batteries
In the subsequent hydro-metallurgical process, the alloy is further refined so the metals can be
converted into active cathode materials for the production of new rechargeable batteries.
Since long, Umicore is a leading supplier of key materials for rechargeable batteries used in
portable electronics and hybrid & electric cars.

3. Why Umicore?
The correct disposal of dangerous waste material like end-of-life Li-ion and NiMH batteries can
be complex and at times worrisome. That is why Umicore works hard to provide comprehensive
peace of mind solutions to OEM’s and battery collectors around the globe, through:
n September 2011, Belgium’s first battery recycling plant opened in Hoboken.
The €25 million battery recycling and development centre can recover nearly all
the elements used in electric and hybrid cars, but so far only two car companies
have signed deals with it. Despite the EU batteries directive, recycling lithium is
an expensive process and for the moment, the Hoboken plant is operating
beneath its capacity.
Sybolt Brouwer is the general manager of the Umicore battery recycling plant. He was
talking to EURACTIV’s environment and energy correspondent, Arthur Neslen
Are you satisfied that electric car manufacturers have given enough thought to
what will happen to their lithium batteries at the end of their life cycle?
Yes I think so, because we talk to car manufacturers and they all consider us to be a
serious candidate for recycling their batteries. With a lot of these things, during the
development phase, recycling or end-of-life gets a bit forgotten. Automobiles are not
a unique example of that. Designfor recycling is something that a lot of manufacturers
should consider more. There is room for improvement there.

4. Is there a chance that lithium batteries could end up being incinerated or buried
in landfills?
I don’t think that’s an option. If you have a green policy and you have a green car –
which is fantastic – then it’s very hard to make your battery’s end of life the end of your
green image also.
And yet a number of car companies still don’t seem to have plans for recycling
these batteries.
Well the market for end of life batteries is still small. They don’t have their own plans
for that, but we offer them a service.
Who are you talking to about this?
We are talking a lot to everybody. Tesla is one that we have already talked about.
They have decided to go public on that but we respect those who choose to be low
profile.
Which batteries are recyclable?
There are two different types of batteries – the lithium-ion and the nickel metal hydride
batteries – and two different types of application that we recycle. It’s the portables you
find in your cellphone, laptop or kids toys because they’re the rechargeable nickel
metal hydrides, and then there are the automobile batteries from hybrid and electric
cars, like the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight.
There was a disaster at a battery recycling plant in Hampshire in England
recently. What’s your strategy to avoid a repetition of that?
It’s a lesson that we already knew: You have to know what you’re doing. Why?
Because batteries are like a little chemical factory in themselves. They’re charged and
when you make short cuts, short circuits, they can heat up and create a fire. What
we’ve done over here in the handling and storage of batteries is take all the knowledge
in the market and that we’ve built up ourselves [and create] a system that’s workable,
a system with detection and segregation of storage so that if there is a fire, in the end,
it cannot spread. There are a lot of things you can do to avoid fire. We have addressed
a lot of them.
Are there any changes to product design requirements that would help your
work?
Lithium-ion is quite a general term. In a Lithium-ion battery there can be cobalt, nickel,
manganese iron, and other elements in all kinds of combinations. In the process of
going from the old pure lithium cobalt batteries to a lithium-ion phosphate battery or
lithium manganese battery, you decrease the value of the metals inside. But the cost
of recycling will not decrease by the same amount. Depending on what kind of battery
you have, this will cost money. The Tesla battery is a high end cobalt-containing
battery that saves money in recycling, but with many of the others, recycling is a cost.
We can recover lithium from batteries in our [recycling] process but it is more
expensive than the price of primary lithium for the moment.

5. How would you like to see product design requirements changed? Which
elements would you like to see used more and which used less?
I would like to communicate – and this is our responsibility also – to the product
designers the impact of their designs on recycling, but I am not a battery expert. We
should make them aware of the impacts at least.
What quantities of batteries are you recycling that have been imported from
abroad?
The majority. This facility has a capacity of 7,000 tonnes a year. That’s around 250
million small batteries and this capacity has not been filled yet. We didn’t expect it to
because we are being proactive for the future. The amount coming from Belgium itself
now is really limited because electric car batteries are in an introductory phase. Our
main amounts come from mobile phones, and laptops, from collection networks all
over Europe.
Can you tell me from which countries they mainly come from?
They’re countries with developed performance collection networks, like the
Scandinavian countries, and also Germany, England, and France.
And from outside Europe?
You can imagine that most batteries are produced in Asia and not all of them are a
success. Some of these are coming to us. But this kind of battery recycling is driven
by legislation and there is legislation in Europe that says you have to collect 25% by
next year and 45% by 2016.
Do you think we’re on track to meet it?
I think for some countries it will be a challenge but other countries have already
developed, although there are a lot of countries which lag a little bit behind.
Which ones?
Maybe the ones I didn’t mention before. I don’t want to specifically mention any
country.
Why do you think only two car companies have agreed recycling deals with you
so far?
That’s a good question. I don’t know actually. Maybe this company [Tesla] was happy
with the results and clearing out of all their batteries. For the others, this is a process.
The recycling of batteries comes at a cost. It is a service that we give. This is unlike
recycling a car catalyst, which is underneath, because we can pay for that. There’s
money in it. This has to be paid for and that’s an important message that has to be
explained many times.
Should there be greater assistance from member states and from the EU itself?
I think that the laws are already clear on this.

6. I’m talking about tariffs, or bringing recycling into the ETS more. Could there be
ways of bringing revenue streams online that would help mitigate the costs?
That might be a solution. You’re talking about portable battery recycling. We pay
everything up front for our battery recycling. What do I think of those kinds of schemes?
I’m not a specialist to be honest.
Are you satisfied that the recycling points and collections going back to
manufacturers and vendors – that were talked about in 2010 – are advancing at
a fast enough speed?
You can look at the statistics and see that some countries are already beyond the 25%
(target for 2012) and some others are lagging behind. But then I understand that some
of these countries are making efforts to get there.
Which electric car batteries cause you the most problems?
There are differences between one electric car battery and another. These batteries
can weigh be between 50 and 250 kilos. Some of them are designed for dismantling
and recycling. You can take out the modules. There’s a big battery and all sorts of
small modules that need to be recycled. Other batteries are more of a challenge to
dismantle. That is what I mean by design for recycling, and that is also an incentive
we give to car manufacturers in discussing and investing how this can be optimised.
This is the first battery recycling plant in Belgium. Why haven’t there been
more? Why isn’t the EU legislation leading to a proliferation of these plants?
I think it’s because it’s the first industrial one on this scale. But the 7,000 tonnes I told
you about is way beyond what we need at the moment. We don’t take that yet. For us
this is important because we want to be ready (for when the EU batteries directive is
implemented) and also this is a showcase, an experience-building thing.
Does it suggest a policy failure?
No I don’t think so. There are a lot of other recycling companies and for the moment
that seems to be enough. You can ask why other companies aren’t yet ready for
something which will really be exploding in five or ten year’s time. We want to build the
expertise to get ready for that time. We are convinced that we should go this way as
a technology platform.
What rare earth recycling takes place here?
Nickel hydride batteries are the only ones that contain rare earths. In a lithium-ion
battery there are none. Our aim as Umicore is to close the loop on metals. We do it
now with cobalt and nickel and now we also have a supply of nickel metal hydride
batteries which contain rare earths. We also designed a process together with Rhodia
(a French chemical company) to refine and recycle, and get rare earths back into the
process. We have sort of the same thing for lithium but that doesn’t pay off yet,
because the price of lithium is low. For rare earths the price is high enough to do this
but if prices go down to their historical level, we might come to a point where we stop
it.

7. So you’re dependent on market prices for all of this?
Yes
But at the same time, environmentally there are resource needs and climate
needs that might not be able to wait for prices to align correctly.
Yes, that’s correct.
What’s the implication of that?
The implication is that if the prices fluctuate according to market supply and demand,
then you might not be ready for the moment when you need to be.
Is that an argument for greater regulation of the markets or intervention by
policy makers?
It might be an idea to ask for a certain amount of recycled material in your product. If
you know that there are companies that can do the recycling and you need a recycled
product, then these companies can compete amongst each other for a best price that
is not related to the market price.
So if there was a requirement on them to use recycled materials in the
manufacture of their products in the first place, that would guarantee a market
for those recycled products?
Article from economictimes:-
KOLKATA: The lithium-ion batterymarketis expected to grow exponentiallyin the next five years in India and its
recycling offers a $1000 million opportunityby 2030,JMK Research has estimated. However,recycling would
gather momentum onlywhen the Indian governmentbrings in a well-defined regulatoryand policy framework
said the research firm.
nitiatives by the centre that will accelerate the growth of lithium-ion batterymarketin India include National
Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020,with a projection of getting 6-7 million electric vehicles on Indian roads by
2020,installation of175 GW of renewable energyby 2022.
As per JMK Research estimates,the lithium-ion batterymarketin India is expected to increase from 2.9 GWh in
2018 to about 132 GWh by 2030 (CAGR of 35.5%). The increasing volume oflithium -ion batteries would,in turn,
lead to a growing capacity of 'spent'batteries in the ecosystem which ifleft untreated would lead to health and
environmental hazards.
Precious metals comprising these batteries would be lostforever. Therefore,managing this lithium-ion battery
waste through recycling is a necessity.
JMK research estimates thatthe recycling marketin India will start picking up from the year 2022 onwards when
batteries presentlyin use in electric vehicles would reach their end of life.
In the year 2030,the recycling marketis estimated to be around 22 - 23 GWh, which is a $1,000 million
opportunities.Indian companies like Tata ChemicalsNSE 2.08 %, Raasi Solar and MahindraNSE 1.18 % Electric
have already started looking at this lucrative opportunity and have either alreadyestablished or announced plans
to set up recycling operations.
Tata Chemicals has alreadylaunched its lithium-ion batteryrecycling operations in Mumbai.Raasi Solar has
announced plans to setup a 300 MW plant focussing on lithium batteryrecycling along with battery assembling
and cell manufacturing.Mahindra Electric has also expressed its plans to enable EV battery recycling, in a
method similar to the recycling of cell phone batteries,with the help of a supplypartner.
Although there is awareness around the recyclabilityand reusabilityof batteries,this marketwould gather
momentum onlywhen the Indian governmentbrings in a well-defined regulatoryand policy framework.To date,

8. India does not have any specific regulations or guidelines around the effective disposal and recycling oflithium -
ion batteries.Even India’s e-waste guidelines have no mention oflithium-ion batteries.Clear guidelines have to
be laid out for collection,storage,transportation and ..
Largest battery manufacturer????
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. As of 2019, the Tesla GigaFactory is
the largest producer of Lithium-ion batteries for electric mobility at 23GWh, followed by
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) with a capacity of 12 GWh, followed by
Panasonic and BYD.
Is Lithium-ion the Ideal Battery?
For many years, nickel-cadmium had been the only suitable batteryfor portable equipmentfrom wireless
communications to mobile computing.Nickel-metal-hydride and lithium-ion emerged In the early 1990s,fighting
nose-to-nose to gain customer's acceptance. Today, lithium-ion is the fastestgrowing and mostpromising battery
chemistry.
The lithium-ion battery
Pioneer work with the lithium battery began in 1912 under G.N. Lewis butit was not until the early 1970s when
the first non-rechargeable lithium batteries became commerciallyavailable.lithium is the lightestofall metals,
has the greatestelectrochemical potential and provides the largestenergydensityfor weight.
Attempts to develop rechargeable lithium batteries failed due to safety problem s.Because ofthe inherent
instabilityof lithium metal,especiallyduring charging,research shifted to a non-metallic lithium batteryusing
lithium ions.Although slightlylower in energy density than lithium metal,lithium -ion is safe,provided certain
precautions are metwhen charging and discharging.In 1991,the Sony Corporation commercialized the first
lithium-ion battery.Other manufacturers followed suit.
The energy densityof lithium-ion is typicallytwice that of the standard nickel-cadmium.There is potential for
higher energy densities.The load characteristics are reasonablygood and behave similarlyto nickel -cadmium in
terms of discharge.The high cell voltage of 3.6 volts allows battery pack designs with onlyone cell. Most of
today's mobile phones run on a single cell.A nickel-based pack would require three 1.2-volt cells connected in
series.
Lithium-ion is a low maintenance battery, an advantage that mostother chemistries cannotclaim.There is no
memoryand no scheduled cycling is required to prolong the battery's life. In addition,the self-discharge is less
than halfcompared to nickel-cadmium,making lithium-ion well suited for modern fuel gauge applications.lithium -
ion cells cause little harm when disposed.
Despite its overall advantages,lithium-ion has its drawbacks.It is fragile and requires a protection circuit to
maintain safe operation.Builtinto each pack, the protection circuit limits the peak voltage of each cell during
charge and prevents the cell voltage from dropping too low on discharge.In addition,the cell temperature is
monitored to prevent temperature extremes.The maximum charge and discharge currenton mostpacks are is
limited to between 1C and 2C. With these precautions in place,the possibilityof metallic lithium plating occurring
due to overcharge is virtually eliminated.
Aging is a concern with mostlithium-ion batteries and manymanufacturers remain silentaboutthis issue.Some
capacity deterioration is noticeable after one year, whether the battery is in use or not. The battery frequently fails
after two or three years. It should be noted that other chemistries also have age-related degenerative effects.
This is especiallytrue for nickel-metal-hydride ifexposed to high ambienttemperatures.At the same time,
lithium-ion packs are known to have served for five years in some applications.

9. Manufacturers are constantlyimproving lithium-ion.New and enhanced chemical combinations are introduced
every six months or so.With such rapid progress,itis difficultto assess how well the revised battery will age.
Storage in a cool place slows the aging process oflithium -ion (and other chemistries).Manufacturers recommend
storage temperatures of15°C (59°F). In addition,the battery should be partiallycharged during storage.The
manufacturer recommends a 40% charge.
The mosteconomical lithium-ion battery in terms of cost-to-energyratio is the cylindrical 18650 (size is 18mm x
65.2mm).This cell is used for mobile computing and other applications thatdo not demand ultra-thin geometry.If
a slim pack is required,the prismatic lithium-ion cell is the bestchoice.These cells come ata higher cost in terms
of stored energy.
Advantages
 High energy density - potential for yet higher capacities.
 Does not need prolonged priming when new. One regular charge is all that's needed.
 Relatively low self-discharge - self-discharge is less than half that of nickel-based batteries.
 Low Maintenance - no periodic discharge is needed; there is no memory.
 Specialty cells can provide very high current to applications such as power tools.
Limitations
 Requires protection circuit to maintain voltage and current within safe limits.
 Subject to aging, even if not in use - storage in a cool place at 40% charge reduces the aging
effect.
 Transportation restrictions - shipment of larger quantities may be subject to regulatory control.
This restriction does not apply to personal carry-on batteries.
 Expensive to manufacture - about 40 percent higher in cost than nickel-cadmium.
 Not fully mature - metals and chemicals are changing on a continuing basis.
The lithium polymer battery
The lithium-polymer differentiates itselffrom conventional battery systems in the type of electrolyte used.The
original design,dating back to the 1970s,uses a dry solid polymer electrolyte. This electrolyte resembles a
plastic-like film thatdoes notconduct electricity but allows ions exchange (electricallycharged atoms or groups of
atoms).The polymer electrolyte replaces the traditional porous separator,which is soaked with electrolyte.
The dry polymer design offers simplifications with respectto fabrication,ruggedness,safetyand thin-profile
geometry. With a cell thickness measuring as little as one millimeter (0.039 inches),equipmentdesigners are left
to their own imagination in terms ofform,shape and size.
Unfortunately, the dry lithium-polymer suffers from poor conductivity. The internal resistance is too high and
cannotdeliver the current bursts needed to power modern communication devices and spin up the hard drives of
mobile computing equipment.Heating the cell to 60°C (140°F) and higher increases the conductivity, a
requirementthatis unsuitable for portable applications.
To compromise,some gelled electrolyte has been added.The commercial cells use a separator/electrolyte
membrane prepared from the same traditional porous polyethylene or polypropylene separator filled with a

10. polymer,which gels upon filling with the liquid electrolyte. Thus the commercial lithium-ion polymer cells are very
similar in chemistryand materials to their liquid electrolyte counter parts.
Lithium-ion-polymer has notcaughton as quickly as some analysts had expected.Its superiorityto other systems
and low manufacturing costs has not been realized.No improvements in capacitygains are achieved - in fact, the
capacity is slightlyless than that of the standard lithium-ion battery.Lithium-ion-polymer finds its marketniche in
wafer-thin geometries,such as batteries for creditcards and other such applications.
Advantages
 Very low profile - batteries resembling the profile of a credit card are feasible.
 Flexible form factor - manufacturers are not bound by standard cell formats. With high
volume, any reasonable size can be produced economically.
 Lightweight - gelled electrolytes enable simplified packaging by eliminating the metal shell.
 Improved safety - more resistant to overcharge; less chance for electrolyte leakage.
Limitations
 Lower energy density and decreased cycle count compared to lithium-ion.
 Expensive to manufacture.
 No standard sizes. Most cells are produced for high volume consumer markets.
 Higher cost-to-energy ratio than lithium-ion
Restrictions on lithium content for air travel
Air travelers ask the question,"How much lithium in a battery am I allowed to bring on board?"We differentiate
between two battery types: Lithium metal and lithium-ion.
Most lithium metal batteries are non-rechargeable and are used in film cameras.Lithium-ion packs are
rechargeable and power laptops,cellular phones and camcorders.Both battery types, including spare packs,are
allowed as carry-on but cannot exceed the following lithium content:
- 2 grams for lithium metal or lithium alloybatteries
- 8 grams for lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries exceeding 8 grams butno more than 25 grams maybe carried in carry-on baggage if
individuallyprotected to prevent shortcircuits and are limited to two spare batteries per person.
How do I know the lithium content of a lithium-ion battery? From a theoretical perspective,there is no
metallic lithium in a typical lithium-ion battery. There is, however, equivalentlithium contentthat mustbe
considered.For a lithium-ion cell,this is calculated at0.3 times the rated capacity (in ampere-hours).
Example: A 2Ah 18650 Li-ion cell has 0.6 grams oflithium content.On a typical 60 Wh laptop battery with 8 cells
(4 in series and 2 in parallel),this adds up to 4.8g. To stay under the 8-gram UN limit,the largestbattery you can
bring is 96 Wh. This pack could include 2.2Ah cells in a 12 cells arrangement(4s3p).Ifthe 2.4Ah cell were used
instead,the pack would need to be limited to 9 cells (3s3p).
Restrictions on shipment of lithium-ion batteries
 Anyone shipping lithium-ion batteries in bulk is responsible to meet transportation regulations.
This applies to domestic and international shipments by land, sea and air.
 Lithium-ion cells whose equivalent lithium content exceeds 1.5 grams or 8 grams per battery
pack must be shipped as "Class 9 miscellaneous hazardous material." Cell capacity and the
number of cells in a pack determine the lithium content.
 Exception is given to packs that contain less than 8 grams of lithium content. If, however, a
shipment contains more than 24 lithium cells or 12 lithium-ion battery packs, special markings
and shipping documents will be required. Each package must be marked that it contains

11. lithium batteries.
 All lithium-ion batteries must be tested in accordance with specifications detailed in UN 3090
regardless of lithium content (UN manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III, subsection 38.3). This
precaution safeguards against the shipment of flawed batteries.
 Cells & batteries must be separated to prevent short-circuiting and packaged in strong boxes.
JD:- Market studyonpotential mappingforLi-ionbatteryrecycling