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The Chinese government has released legislation laying out standards and classifications of black mass. This legislation, set to come into force in July 2025, may allow the import of black mass into China which previously had not been possible.
What is in the legislation?
Under the legislation black mass is first classified into two types and then further graded into two grades.
- Type I covers all NCM derived black mass
- Type II covers all LFP derived black mass
- Grade I is black mass derived from production scrap
- Grade II is black mass derived from EoL batteries
The standards also cover thresholds for the content of acid insoluble substances such as graphite or plastics. For Grade I black mass, this should remain under 5% while for Grade II black mass this should be under 40% for Type I and under 45% for Type II. The legislation also puts thresholds on impurities such as zinc and cadmium.
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What does this mean for the Chinese recycling industry?
The Chinese government is aiming to address challenges in the domestic battery recycling market such as overcapacity and enhancing the health of recycling operations. The Black Mass National Standards comes after it released a draft of the revised Whitelist guidelines in 2024, which introduced more stringent requirements to be a “government approved” recycler.
These rules may gradually start to push recyclers, likely smaller, unregulated recyclers first, out the market, if they are unable to meet the requirements.
Importing black mass could be a key development for the Chinese recycling market as it currently faces the issue of overcapacity and underutilisation. Many black mass refiners are unable to source enough black mass for profitable operations. Importing black mass may help this issue. Implementing a classification and standardisation system will give clear guidance for the quality of imported black mass.
More Information
For more information about the recycling market see our research or get in touch.
Image Credit: BMW Group
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