India bans black mass exports to retain critical minerals : GS TIMES IAS-PCS

Why in News?

On 11 November 2026, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) prohibited the export of specified battery waste and scrap containing lithium-ion battery black mass. The export policy under ITC (HS) code 85491400 was changed from ‘Free’ to ‘Prohibited’, with immediate effect and until further orders.

What is Black Mass?

Black mass is a dark powder produced by shredding end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing scrap.
It contains a mixture of recoverable metals, graphite and other residues.
Depending on the original battery chemistry, it may contain:Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Manganese.
It is an intermediate product, not a finished material that can be directly used in new battery cells.
It requires further processing to separate and recover valuable materials.

Structure of a Lithium-Ion Battery Cell

A lithium-ion cell consists of two electrodes, an electrolyte and other supporting materials.

1. Anode (Negative electrode): Usually made of graphite (a form of carbon), coated on copper foil.

2. Cathode (Positive electrode): Made of metal oxide coated on aluminium foil, contains most of the valuable metals, such as lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt.

3. Electrolyte: A liquid containing a lithium salt dissolved in it. It facilitates the movement of lithium ions between the electrodes.

4. Polymer Binder: Holds the electrode coatings together and attaches them to the metal foils.

Importance of Cathode Materials

Cathode materials account for approximately 15–20% of the cost of manufacturing a battery.
Their composition varies according to battery chemistry.
For example:
- NMC-111: Contains nickel, manganese and cobalt in equal proportions; cobalt accounts for around 20.36% of the cathode material by weight.
- NMC-811: Has a higher nickel content; cobalt accounts for around 6.05% by weight.

Significance of the DGFT Decision

Domestic availability: Retains an important source of secondary critical minerals within India.
Battery manufacturing: Creates opportunities to recover valuable minerals for domestic battery production.
Resource security: Reduces dependence on imported critical minerals and processed battery materials.
Circular economy: Encourages recycling and reuse of materials from discarded batteries.
Industrial development: Supports the development of domestic battery-recycling and mineral-recovery industries.

Source: HT

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