METHOD FOR PROCESSING BLACK MASS TO BATTERY CHEMICALS

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing a black mass to battery chemicals. The method comprises leaching the black mass using sulfuric acid and a reducing agent to produce a first process solution comprising lithium sulfate and at least one of manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate, and impurities, which first process solution is separated from graphite by filtration. Thereafter, the process comprises removing impurities from the first process solution using lithium hydroxide, to produce a second process solution, separating lithium from the second process solution using chromatographic lithium separation producing lithium sulfate and a third process solution and separating at least one of copper, nickel and cobalt from the third process solution by ion exchange producing lithium sulfate. Finally, the process comprises converting the lithium sulfate produced by electrodialysis to lithium and to sulfuric acid to be used in the method.