SER Group establishes specialist battery recycling division

The SER Group, a Manchester-based IT recycling business, said Cellcycle will offer a ‘truly circular economy solution’ to battery waste and in doing so will recover elements within batteries that currently need to be sent abroad for further refining.

Cellcycle, which holds Approved Battery Exporter (ABE) and Approved Battery Treatment Operator (ABTO) permits, said it will collect batteries and package them in UN and ADR approved packaging before taking them back to their facility to be dismantled before mechanical and chemical separation recycling processes are completed.

Batteries deemed unsafe or critical during collection will be placed in special battery boxes equipped to contain batteries that set alight or start to produce thermal runaway.

According to Jeff Borrman, Cellcycle’s Battery Division director, there are several ways to stop the thermal run away when shredding in an inert atmosphere using CO2, nitrogen or aqueous solution.

“We prefer the aqueous solution route as it reduces the issue of dust and issues around fine particles of nickel oxide/carbon and the effect of HF on the equipment,” he said. “It also lends itself to the next stage process of extraction we are developing for the recovery battery elemental salts.”