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Comment by waterproof | Hacker News Reader

according to https://x.com/Mith_/status/2041911606213537971

> The industry standard for the recovery of lithium (remember there is a difference between recovery and extraction) is 90%, with some platforms now achieving 95%+ like those that use carbonation.

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Some battery recycling challenges are minimal volume at this point on the EV adoption curve, and LFP and sodium ion battery chemistries won’t be worth recycling for the materials alone (but still require recycling as ewaste).

https://www.npr.org/2026/07/13/nx-s1-5847025/ev-battery-recy...

https://www.npr.org/2026/03/02/nx-s1-5706658/electric-vehicl...

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48893945

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48013768

https://xcancel.com/Mith_/status/2041911606213537971

What is the standard non-renewable resource used for the recovery process? What materials are used up as catalysts to convert it back?

Sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, sodium carbonate. Not catalysts but reagents. Most currently come from fossil fuel feedstock but that isn't essential.

Why would any of those compounds come from fossil fuels? Sulfur is mined, hydrogen peroxide is water with some oxygen taken off, and sodium carbonate is made from salt and limestone

Because they can, because when refining petroleum products you get a lot of crap that's not carbohydrates

Sulfur is produced when the H2S is removed from petroleum and natural gas. Elemental sulfur is burned to produce Sulfuric acid using the Contact Process.

> hydrogen peroxide is water with some oxygen taken off

Isn't it water with some oxygen added?

more importantly what is the cost versus getting it the non recyclable way

that way is 100% non-renewable, the important questions are the total long term costs

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