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Product & Technology

Young Poong, a leader of non-ferrous metal technologies

Developing the best technology with innovative research and leading the industry

R&D Center LiB Recycling Young Poong Patents

Leading the way to realize a low-carbon, environment-friendly society by developing distinctive, high value-added technologies for the future

Young Poong established the R&D Center at sukpo smelter in 1987 and strived for systematic research and development of new materials and products in the non-ferrous metal fields based on the smelting technologies accumulated so far.

In 1993, Young Poong commercialized the world’s first Top Submerged Lance (TSL) technology that is an environment-friendly material treatment technology, and enhanced production efficiency by secondarily recovering valuable metals such as zinc, copper and silver from byproducts remaining after smelting zinc.

In the environment field, Young Poong made water treatment technologies more advanced through ceaseless R&D efforts, such as internal development of total nitrogen treatment technology. In 2021, Young Poong introduced the world’s first Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system, leading the way to protect the environment.

With the establishment of Young Poong Green Metal Campus in 2022, Young Poong expanded business areas, such as secondary battery recycling, based on unparalleled “Strategic Material Circulation Technology” that is used for recovery of metals, leading the way to realize a low-carbon, environment-friendly society.

LiB Recycling

As a way to overcome the environmental crisis, resource crisis, and climate crisis, the “circular economy,” an eco-friendly economic model that pursues sustainability through resource conservation and recycling, is gaining attention.
YOUNG POONG aims to create new sustainable value by combining the world's best metal separation and recovery technology accumulated through half a century of smelting with the circular economy model. YOUNG POONG is expanding into the Lithium ion Battery (LiB) recycling business, which extracts core minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper from used batteries through a dry-wet integrated process based on smelting technology.

New Business Overview

YOUNG POONG’s dry melt recycling technology simplifies pretreatment, reducing processing costs and process time, and high metal recovery rates of over 90% for lithium and over 95% for nickel, cobalt, copper, etc.
This is a revolutionary recycling technology that is the world's first successful recover lithium through dry recycling.

State of the LiB Recycling Market

The market for lithium-ion battery recycling is expected to explode with the rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles. This is because the amount of used batteries generated is bound to increase with the replacement cycle of EV batteries.
YOUNG POONG plans to lay a foothold for sustainable growth through the new business of secondary battery recycling based on metal recovery technology accumulated from operating the Seokpo smelter.

EV battery life

  • EV battery life about 10 years
  • On average, replaced every 8 years

The importance of battery recycling

  • Protecting the environment
  • Resource efficiency (building a circular economy)

Market growth forecast

  • Annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21% through 2030.
  • Global market to be about $130B in 2040

Building a Sustainable Battery Material Supply Chain with LiB Recycling Technology

Recycling raw material

Electric vehicle waste batteries at LiB flake production base

YOUNG POONG has developed LiB FE&R (Fuming, Extracting & Recirculation) Process, a unique secondary battery recycling technology based on the existing zinc smelting technology.
FE&R Process is a technology that minimizes waste by re-injecting residue generated in the Hydro-metallurgy into the dry process, generates electricity through waste heat recovery, and builds an infinite closed-loop system through impurity clean slagification, ZLD process, and CCUS.
In the recent situation of nationalization of battery mineral resources and trade control, it is necessary to secure a stable supply chain, and we will become a sustainable and stable raw material supplier to the battery ecosystem through LiB recycling technology.

LiB Recycling History

2018
JAN.

Developed Ministry of Environment’s Li-based waste parts disassembly system and recycling technology

2020
APR.

Developed Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy ‘s commercialization strategy for high temperature reduction melting of 2,000 tons/year, and concentrate separation technology to recover metals in medium and large sized waste lithium secondary batteries

2022
APR.

Developed Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy’s carbon reduction raw material technology from waste lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP)

JUL.

Opened YOUNG POONG Green Metal Campus (Metropolitan R&D Center)

NOV.

YOUNG POONG LiB Recycling Pyro-metallurgical Pilot Plant Completed

DEC.

Won the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Award at the 29th Corporate Innovation Awards

2023
JUN.

MOU with U.S. all-solid-state battery manufacturer Factorial on secondary battery recycling

AUG.

MOU with Lotte Global Logistics to establish SCM for secondary battery recycling logistics

SEP.

MOU with AJ Networks to build SCM for secondary battery recycling logistics

2024
NOV.

Hydro-metallurgical Pilot Plant Completed

DEC.

Pyro-metallurgical Mini Pilot Plant Completed (Commercialization Criteria)

Young Poong Patents

Young Poong filed six patent applications for related technologies and registered 14 patents as of December 2024.
Through ceaseless R&D efforts, Young Poong accomplished scientific achievements. The company established a technological foundation for recovering valuable metals through the high-temperature reduction melting process. It also completed the fabrication, installation, and commissioning of the lithium power module. Additionally, Young Poong developed technology to optimize lithium volatilization through the high-temperature reduction melting process and created materialization technology for processing valuable metals used in secondary battery manufacturing.

In addition, Young Poong made significant advancements in research infrastructure. The company constructed the high-temperature smelting furnace as a pilot for the treatment of medium and large-sized waste batteries, capable of recycling 2,000 tons of raw materials per year, at the Sukpo smelter. It constructed the preprocessing equipment for the feeding system of the high-temperature smelting furnace and completed the construction of the lithium power module and the exhaust gas aftertreatment module. Additionally, it completed the construction of the hydrometallurgy plant as a pilot for materialization in secondary battery manufacturing and finalized the construction of the high-temperature smelting furnace as a mini pilot for the treatment of lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) waste batteries.

Zinc

Patent No. Patent and Patent Application Status Date
10-1707089 Eco-Friendly Zinc Extraction Process Registered Feb. 9, 2017
10-1819219 Anode structure for electrolytic refining, manufacturing method and electrowinning equipment using the same Registered Jan. 10, 2018
10-1884396 Non-ferrous metal electrolytic smelting system using plural electrolytic solution supply pipe and discharge pipe Registered Jul. 26, 2018
10-1884400 Non-ferrous metal electrolytic smelting system equipped with sludge treatment device under the electrolytic cell Registered Jul. 26, 2018
10-2044481 Method of recovering cobalt from byproducts generated in the smelting of zinc Registered Nov. 7, 2019
10-2063246 Zero Liquid Discharge Process Registered Dec. 31, 2019
10-2095495 Method of removing thallium during smelting of zinc Registered Mar. 25, 2020

LIB

Category Patent No. 발명의 명칭 Status Date
Pre-processing
(1 patent registered and 2 patents filed)		 10-2658019 Apparatus for pre-treating used battery and method of pre-treating used battery using the same Registered Apr. 17, 2024
10-2023-0058270 Molding method of raw materials for recycling waste lithium-ion batteries Filed May 4, 2023
10-2023-0172296 Method of pre-processing for selectively separating active materials from dead batteries Filed Dec. 1, 2023
Smelting-reduction
(4 patents registered and 3 patents filed)		 10-2252019 Method of recovering valuable metal from waste secondary battery Registered May 10, 2021
10-2541261 Method of recovering lithium from waste lithium secondary battery using direct smelting_(Cl) Registered Jun. 2, 2023
10-2639566 Method for recovering lithium Registered Feb. 19, 2024
10-2641852 Method for recovering lithium from lithium battery (S) Registered Feb. 23, 2024
10-2023-0072792 A method for recovering valuable metals in a matte state manufactured from waste lithium batteries Filed Jun. 7, 2023
10-2023-0083382 Method for recovering lithium (B) Filed Jun. 28, 2023
10-2023-0098194 A method for recovering valuable metals from waste lithium batteries using a tilting cylindrical vertical furnace Filed Jul. 27, 2023
Li Capture
(1 patent registered)		 10-2712139 Method of recovering valuable metal using condenser Registered Sep. 25, 2024
Li Hydrometallurgy
(1 patent registered and 1 patent filed)		 10-2691392 Method of converting lithium fluoride Registered Jul. 30, 2024
10-2023-0131691 Method for improving recovery rate of valuable metal Filed Oct. 4, 2023