Milestone reached in the recycle of cobalt from spent EV batteries

Japan's Sumitomo Metal discovers way to conserve rare metal

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Sumitomo Metal's test facilities for harvesting carbon materials from used electric-car batteries. (courtesy of Sumitomo Metal Mining)

TAISUKE SUZUKI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining has developed a method to recycle cobalt from spent electric car batteries, allowing conservation of a relatively scarce metal, Nikkei has learned.

The company has set up a test plant in Ehime Prefecture to melt down used batteries under controlled conditions to extract cobalt in a form that lets them be quickly reused as battery parts.

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