Mitigation And Partitioning of PFAS in Critical Raw Material Recycling Processes MAP-PFAS-CRM

Environmental contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may pose emerging challenges for the sustainable recycling of critical raw materials (CRMs), particularly in complex waste streams such as lithium-ion battery black mass, WEEE fractions, and combustion ashes.

This seed project, a collaboration between Ragn-Sells Group’s R&D activities and LTU’s expertise in contaminants in waste streams, will generate the first systematic dataset on PFAS occurrence and CAMM-CRM Seed Funding Application 2026, LTU-1805-2026 2 partitioning in selected CRM-bearing recycling materials, with emphasis on lithium-ion battery black mass. Analytical screening of representative samples and process streams from ongoing recycling and hydrometallurgical development activities will identify PFAS occurrence, concentration ranges, and distribution across CRM recovery flows. Based on these results, the project will evaluate mitigation strategies and pinpoint where contaminant control can be integrated in recycling flowsheets. Outcomes will inform contaminant-aware, regulation-ready CRM recycling strategies and future interdisciplinary research.