Rice University Engineers Develop Rapid Water-Based Method to Recover Critical Lithium-Ion Battery Minerals

Rice University researchers use water-based amino chlorides to recover battery metals in minutes. A greener, faster solution for the EV supply chain.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 28, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EurekAlert!

Accelerating the Circular Economy for Battery Tech

As the global transition to electric vehicles intensifies, the urgency for sustainable battery disposal has moved from a secondary concern to a primary industrial necessity. Researchers at Rice University’s Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering have addressed this by developing a water-based extraction method that drastically reduces the time required to harvest critical minerals. Unlike traditional recycling, which often involves energy-intensive smelting or harsh chemical baths, this new approach utilizes "amino chlorides" to dissolve metals almost instantaneously, potentially stabilizing the supply chain for lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

The Chemistry of Aqueous Amino Chlorides

The breakthrough centers on a class of solvents that mimic the high performance of "green" deep eutectic solvents while bypassing their typical limitations, such as high viscosity and slow reaction speeds. The study, published in the journal Small, identifies hydroxylammonium chloride (HACl) as a standout lixiviant. By replacing organic solvents with a water-based system, the team lowered the solution's viscosity, allowing molecules to move more freely. This physical shift enables the chemical reaction to bypass the hours-long wait times associated with legacy hydrometallurgical processes.

Minute-by-Minute Metal Extraction Efficiency

One of the most startling aspects of the HACl-based process is its efficacy at room temperature. Within just sixty seconds, the solution can achieve approximately 65% extraction of key battery metals. As processing times extend slightly, recovery efficiencies for several minerals climb above 75%. First author Simon M. King noted that the majority of the metal extraction occurs within the very first minute of contact, a finding that could redefine throughput expectations for commercial recycling facilities that currently rely on high-temperature environments to force chemical reactions.