Diploma defense by Saskia Bohn

Congratulations on the defense of Saskia Bohn’s diploma thesis

On November 25, 2025, Saskia Bohn successfully defended her diploma thesis entitled “Optimization of selective lithium extraction from pyrolyzed black mass, with consideration of efficiency and economic viability” at our Chair of Transport Processes at Interfaces. The thesis project work was done in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS; Hydrometallurgical Recycling and Raw Materials Chemistry.

The thesis focused on the systematic investigation of an innovative hydrometallurgical process for the selective extraction of lithium from pyrolyzed black mass. In particular, leaching with water and CO₂ was investigated under varying process conditions such as pressure, temperature, and solid-liquid ratio. The aim was to optimize the process control in terms of efficiency and economic viability while taking regulatory requirements into account.

The findings made an important contribution to a better understanding of the relevant process relationships and created a sound basis for the further development and evaluation of industrially relevant recycling concepts in the field of battery raw materials.