Bulk material handling in battery production

Bulk material handling in battery production — definition:

Bulk material handling in battery production encompasses all processes for receiving, storing, transferring, dosing and mixing of active materials (NMC, LFP, graphite, PVDF), conductive additives (carbon black, CNT) and electrolyte precursors in lithium-ion and solid-state battery manufacturing. HECHT provides ATEX 2014/34/EU-certified, fully closed powder handling systems for battery gigafactories with OEB 2-3 containment for toxic NMC cathode powders and inert gas-purged transfer for moisture-sensitive anode and electrolyte materials (<1 ppm H2O).

Key points — bulk material handling

NMC/LFP toxicity classification: lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC) and cobalt-containing cathode powders are classified as toxic (GHS category 2) and carcinogenic (cobalt) — closed powder handling at OEB 2-3 is required to protect workers from inhalation exposure above 0.02 mg/m³ cobalt OEL.
Moisture control critical: battery active materials degrade irreversibly above 50 ppm moisture — HECHT inert gas-purged transfer systems (N2 or Ar blanket) maintain <1 ppm H2O during big bag unloading, dosing and transfer to maintain specific capacity and cycle life of battery cells.
ATEX Zone 21 battery powders: fine battery powders (graphite, carbon black, PVDF) form explosive dust clouds at concentrations above 30–60 g/m³ — HECHT systems are ATEX cat. 2D certified with nitrogen inerting as explosion prevention measure where applicable.
Precision dosing for electrode slurry: electrode slurry quality requires active material to binder to conductive additive ratios accurate to ±0.1% — HECHT loss-in-weight dosing systems maintain this accuracy at throughputs of 100–2,000 kg/h per dosing station in continuous slurry mixing lines.
GMP-grade cleanroom compatibility: battery dry rooms (dew point -40 to -60°C) require equipment with no moisture-absorbing materials, smooth surfaces and minimal outgassing — HECHT battery handling systems are designed and tested for dry room compatibility up to ISO 14644-1 class 5.

Related HECHT solutions: Powder handling & transport | Pharma containment | Test & Trial Centre

As the world increasingly turns to renewable energy, batteries have become an indispensable part of energy storage. Producing high-quality batteries, however, requires a complex process with several production stages, including bulk material handling. Powder handling plays a crucial role in battery production, as it covers the transport, storage and processing of the powdered materials used in the battery electrodes.

Handling these powders requires a careful balance between ensuring their purity, preventing (cross-)contamination and maintaining optimal conditions for their physical and chemical properties.

In addition, the trend towards electromobility and energy storage is driving demand for lithium and other raw materials such as cobalt, nickel and manganese – especially in battery production. Within the demanding battery production chain, the supply of raw materials is the first step, and a crucial one for the quality of the end product.

Here too, bulk material handling plays an essential role in the service life and performance of the battery. In addition to ATEX/Ex protection, containment aspects must also be taken into account.

Frequently asked questions about bulk material handling in battery production

What containment level is required for handling NMC cathode powders in battery production?: NMC cathode powders containing cobalt are classified as toxic (GHS H330, H373) with a cobalt OEL of 0.02 mg/m³ (as Co) — equivalent to OEB 2-3 classification. Closed powder handling with local exhaust ventilation and PPE (P3 respiratory protection) is the minimum requirement. HECHT provides fully closed big bag unloading stations with endless liner interfaces that achieve measurable cobalt air concentrations below 0.002 mg/m³ (<10% of OEL) in routine production operations.
How do you prevent moisture ingress during bulk material handling for battery production?: Moisture prevention requires: (1) nitrogen or argon-purged transfer lines and storage vessels, (2) moisture-barrier packaging (big bags with PE liner, moisture indicator) for incoming materials, (3) dry room-compatible equipment with no hygroscopic seals or coatings, (4) real-time moisture monitoring (dew point sensors <-40°C in transfer zones). HECHT designs complete battery material handling lines for dry room installation with validated nitrogen purging that maintains <1 ppm H2O in the active material transfer path.
What throughput can HECHT battery material handling systems achieve for gigafactory scale?: HECHT battery handling systems scale from R&D (10–50 kg/h per line) to gigafactory production (500–5,000 kg/h per line for cathode active material, 200–2,000 kg/h for anode graphite). Complete systems include big bag unloading, intermediate storage (IBC/silo), loss-in-weight dosing, conveying and slurry mixer feeding — all in a single closed, inert-gas-purged, ATEX-certified line. HECHT Test & Trial Centre tests battery powder flow, dosing accuracy and attrition resistance before scale-up.

Productie van Batterijmassa's

Production of battery masses — definition:

Battery mass production (electrode slurry manufacturing) is the process of mixing active materials (NMC, LFP, graphite), conductive additives (carbon black) and binders (PVDF, CMC/SBR) in a solvent (NMP or water) to produce homogeneous electrode slurry for coating onto aluminium (cathode) or copper (anode) current collectors. HECHT provides closed powder handling, precision dosing and contained transfer systems for battery mass production lines — ATEX 2014/34/EU certified, compatible with dry rooms (dew point -40 to -60°C) and designed for NMC OEB 2-3 toxic powder containment.

Key points — battery mass production

Slurry formulation accuracy: NMC:carbon black:PVDF ratio typically 96:2:2 by weight — dosing accuracy of ±0.1% per component is required to maintain electrode capacity density and cycle life targets; HECHT loss-in-weight dosers achieve ±0.05% at 100–2,000 kg/h.
NMP solvent handling: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) is a reproductive toxin (CMR category 1B) requiring closed transfer, LEV and personal monitoring below 10 mg/m³ OEL — HECHT integrates closed solvent dosing with powder handling in an ATEX Zone 1/21 certified manifold.
Dry room compatibility: all equipment seals (EPDM, silicone) are replaced with PTFE or stainless steel in dry room configurations — outgassing tested at -60°C dew point environments to prevent moisture contamination of electrode slurry above 50 ppm H2O limit.
Scale-up from R&D to gigafactory: HECHT offers modular systems from 10 kg/h (R&D/pilot) to 5,000 kg/h (gigafactory), with the same closed transfer and dosing architecture — enabling direct process transfer without reformulation at each scale step.
Inert atmosphere for anode materials: silicon-graphite and lithium-metal anode materials react with oxygen and moisture — HECHT nitrogen-blanketed transfer and storage systems maintain O2 <10 ppm and H2O <1 ppm during handling to prevent capacity fade before cell assembly.

Related HECHT solutions: Powder handling & transport | Pharma containment | Test & Trial Centre

HECHT Technologie delivers advanced emptying, conveying and dosing technologies for the production of various battery components. The focus is on the continuous and accurate supply of raw materials for cathode and anode production. Protecting both the operator and the product is central.

Our customer is a renowned battery manufacturer headquartered in Germany.

The installed combined system consists of an anode line and a cathode line. Each line in turn consists of two separate, fully independent sub-systems. Essentially the same process runs in each sub-system, starting at the feed stations.

In the installation, the powdered components are added, conveyed and dosed into a mixing vessel provided by the customer. The powder is then used in the following process steps to produce the anode electrode paste for lithium-ion battery cells. In total, two mixing stations with associated product feed were supplied.

Frequently asked questions about battery mass production

What powder handling challenges are specific to NMC cathode slurry manufacturing?: NMC cathode powder presents three simultaneous challenges: (1) toxicity (cobalt OEL 0.02 mg/m³) requiring OEB 2-3 closed transfer, (2) extreme moisture sensitivity (<50 ppm H2O) requiring inert gas purging, and (3) high abrasiveness (Mohs 6-7) causing rapid wear of metal contact parts. HECHT addresses all three with: closed endless liner transfer, nitrogen-purged hoppers, and hardened Hastelloy C22 or ceramic-coated contact surfaces with guaranteed service life >5,000 operating hours.
How do you ensure homogeneous mixing and dosing accuracy for electrode slurry?: Electrode slurry homogeneity depends on: correct active material particle size distribution (D50 5-15 µm for NMC), pre-dispersed carbon black agglomerates (<1 µm primary particle), and correct PVDF dissolution in NMP before powder addition. HECHT designs powder addition sequences and mixing protocols based on rheology data from the Test & Trial Centre — dosing accuracy of ±0.1% per component ensures <0.2% batch-to-batch variation in active material loading, critical for cell-to-cell capacity matching in battery modules.
What throughput and footprint does a HECHT battery mass handling system require at gigafactory scale?: A typical HECHT gigafactory powder handling module for cathode production handles 500–2,000 kg/h of NMC active material with a footprint of 20–40 m² including big bag unloading, intermediate storage, loss-in-weight dosing and slurry mixer feeding. For a 10 GWh/year gigafactory, this requires 3-6 parallel dosing lines. HECHT supplies turnkey modules with ATEX certification, dry room compatibility and full process documentation for CE marking — lead time 14–20 weeks from order.

Author: Joost van Velzen | Date: 22 May 2026 | Hecht Technology B.V.

Keywords: battery mass production powder handling, electrode slurry NMC dosing, NMP solvent handling battery, dry room powder handling battery, gigafactory cathode material handling

Functional description

The anode and cathode materials are added with low dust in big bag emptying stations. These consist of four main components: connection system, support table, frame and lifting device. There is also an integrated lump breaker that reduces agglomerates before dosing.

The big bag is attached to the HECHT LAS-EC liner connection system, which allows safe, ergonomic and dust-free handling and meets OEB 4 level for NMC products. Carbon black and graphite are also processed via the LAS-EC system to ensure cleanliness and protection against contamination.

Small quantities in sacks are processed with low dust via a bag emptying station with glovebox. Here the sacks are opened and the product is fed into the pneumatic conveying system using a ball suction shoe and an agitator, to guarantee consistent quality.

The powder is conveyed to the dosing station by a HECHT ProClean Conveyor (PCC) vacuum conveyor. Each product has its own conveying system, which also acts as a storage hopper. Dosing is accurate and sequential according to the recipe, with up to three solids being mixed.

After each dose, the result is checked by weighing the product. The mixing vessel is located in an extraction cabin with a pneumatic lid.

The electrode paste is then prepared in the mixer with the addition of liquid, applied to metal substrates, dried and cut. Separator films made of porous plastic prevent short circuits. Electrodes and separator films are layered, filled with electrolyte in a housing and sealed.

Recyclingproces

Industrial recycling process for bulk materials — definition: The industrial recycling process comprises collecting, sorting, pre-processing (size reduction, washing) and reprocessing bulk materials (plastics, metals, chemicals, pharmaceutical residues) into reusable raw materials. HECHT supports every process step with ATEX zone 21-certified equipment (LBK-EC, LAS-EC, ProClean Conveyor), closed containment (OEB 1–5, SMEPAC) and CIP/SIP cleaning technology in line with REACH, EU Taxonomy 2020/852 and CSRD ESRS E5.

Key points — industrial recycling process

Circular economy: EU Taxonomy Regulation 2020/852 recognises recycling processes as a sustainable activity — reportable under ESRS E5 (resource use and circular economy) for companies subject to CSRD
ATEX risk in recycling: finely ground plastic, metal and chemical dust falls under ATEX zone 21 (St1/St2) — HECHT LBK-EC and LAS-EC are Ex II 2D certified with IEC 60079-32 ESD earthing
HECHT products: LBK-EC big bag discharge station (recycled granulate 500–2,000 kg), ProClean Conveyor PCC (CIP/SIP, EHEDG), sieving machines (63–5,000 µm) — a complete process line from incoming material to finished product
Product purity: recycling pharmaceutical or food-grade materials requires REACH CMR control, GMP Annex 1-like cleaning (MACO <10 ppm) and traceability (GS1-128, 21 CFR Part 11)
Economic benefit: closed HECHT recycling lines reduce raw material loss by 95–99% — for plastics (€1,000–€3,000/tonne rPE) a direct saving of €10–€30 per batch per tonne processed

An efficient recycling process starts with the right bulk handling equipment. Discover HECHT solutions for your recycling stream at the Test & Trial Centre in Pörnbach, explore our complete recycling line portfolio and read more about sustainable industrial applications.

Battery production is not the only complex process: recycling is ultimately an important way to reduce the environmental impact of hazardous chemicals. However, several difficulties complicate battery recycling.

Carbon black in particular, which consists of carbon, is both a useful and a potentially hazardous substance when inhaled. The fine particles can reach the lungs and cause respiratory problems, so safety measures must be taken when handling carbon black. Carbon black can be recovered from old batteries by a recycling process called pyrolysis: the thermal decomposition of organic materials in an oxygen-free environment.

Batteries are first mechanically shredded and dismantled into their individual parts. The battery parts are then heated in a furnace under oxygen-free conditions. The heat breaks down the organic materials in the battery, creating a mixture of liquid and gaseous components and carbon black. This mixture is then processed in several steps to separate and clean the carbon black from the other components.

The recovered carbon black can then be used in other applications, such as rubber and plastics production, or reused for battery production. Other raw materials are also recovered through recycling, for example lithium, cobalt and nickel, as well as the copper or aluminium carrier foils.

To fill these products safely in the final step, without risk to the operator, and prepare them for transport, various HECHT containment conveying and/or filling stations are used.

FAQ — industrial recycling process for bulk materials

Which HECHT equipment is suitable for an industrial recycling line?

HECHT offers a complete process equipment line for recycling: LAS-EC EASY for big bag discharge of incoming recycling material, turbo sieve (63–5,000 µm) for fractionation, ProClean Conveyor (PCC) for dust-free conveying, LBK-EC for containment of hazardous recycling streams (OEB 3–4), and big bag filling stations for filling recycled product. All equipment is ATEX zone 21 certified and available for rent for pilot projects.

How does a recycling process meet REACH requirements for reprocessed chemicals?

For recycled substances, REACH (Regulation 1907/2006) requires: substance identification (IUPAC, CAS), SVHC screening (candidate list of 240+ substances), an SDS in line with Annex II, and registration with ECHA if the volume exceeds 1 tonne/year. Exception: "recovered substances" within the same production chain. HECHT systems with an ALCOA+ audit trail (GS1-128, 21 CFR Part 11) provide the traceable documentation needed for REACH compliance of recycling streams.

How does HECHT equipment integrate into an existing recycling process?

HECHT recycling equipment has a modular design: standard footprint 1.2–2.5 m², OPC-UA/Profibus PLC connection, ATEX earthing (IEC 60079-32) and IQ documentation on delivery. Installation takes 1–3 working days without stopping production. A rental option is available for the pilot phase (from 1 day). HECHT provides process validation, SMEPAC measurement and operator training for the specific recycling stream.

Author: Joost van Velzen, Managing Director Hecht Technology B.V. Reviewed: 30 May 2026.

Keywords: industrial recycling process bulk materials ATEX, recycling line powder granulate HECHT containment, REACH recycling chemicals reprocessing compliance, circular economy recycling equipment CSRD EU taxonomy, closed recycling line plastic metal pharma HECHT