The long road to producing LFP in the U.S. just got a lot shorter.

Arcam is a battery materials company that makes lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode active material (CAM) directly from spent LFP batteries. Founded at MIT in 2021 and headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Arcam uses its proprietary ReCAM™ regeneration process, which already runs at commercial gigawatt-hour scale.

LFP cathode active material is the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) powder in the positive electrode of an LFP battery, where lithium ions are stored and released during charge and discharge. LFP is widely used in electric vehicles and stationary energy storage because it is safe, long-lived, and contains no nickel or cobalt.

ReCAM™ is Arcam’s proprietary process for regenerating the cathode in spent LFP batteries into battery-grade LFP cathode active material. Instead of breaking the cathode down into its elements, ReCAM™ preserves the olivine LFP crystal structure and restores it to specification, producing high-density cathode ready for new cells.

Conventional hydrometallurgical recycling dissolves spent cathode in strong acids to recover lithium salts, which must then be refined and re-synthesized into new cathode. Arcam’s ReCAM™ process keeps the LFP crystal structure intact, so it skips extraction, mining, refining, and precursor synthesis, uses no strong acids, and generates no sodium sulfate waste.

Arcam’s feedstock is black mass recovered from end-of-life LFP batteries and from LFP battery production scrap. Because ReCAM™ is built specifically for LFP chemistry, the cathode in that black mass is regenerated directly into new cathode active material rather than reduced to raw materials.

Arcam offers three grades of LFP cathode active material. Gen 3 ESS Grade serves stationary and grid energy storage. Gen 4 EV Grade offers EV-grade compaction density for passenger and fleet vehicles. Both are commercialized. Gen 5 is an ultra-high compaction density grade for premium EVs, proven at lab scale and now at pilot stage.

Yes. Arcam’s regenerated LFP cathode is a drop-in replacement that meets or exceeds the performance of cathode made from newly mined and refined materials. Specification documents for each grade are available on request for cell manufacturers evaluating the material.

Cell manufacturers can start qualification by requesting the Gen 3 or Gen 4 specification document on this page, or by contacting Arcam at contact@arcam.tech to discuss samples, application requirements, and timelines.

Arcam’s ReCAM™ process runs at commercial scale with 1.8 GWh of annual production capacity, about 4,000 tonnes of cathode per year. Arcam is scaling that capacity to 6.8 GWh, about 15,000 tonnes per year, by Q4 2026.

Arcam’s current commercial production runs in Asia. In addition to its pilot line and R&D headquarters in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Arcam is bringing the ReCAM™ process to the United States with a planned commercial plant to supply North American cell manufacturers.

LFP cathode supply is concentrated overseas, largely in China. Arcam’s ReCAM™ process makes cathode from batteries already in circulation, so U.S. production does not depend on new mines, refineries, or imported precursors. That shortens the path to domestic LFP cathode for North American cell manufacturers and energy storage developers.

Cathode active material produced in the United States can qualify for the Section 45X advanced manufacturing production credit and can support domestic-content requirements for energy storage projects, subject to current Treasury rules, including prohibited foreign entity restrictions. Arcam’s planned U.S. production is being designed with these requirements in mind; eligibility depends on the facts of each project.

Yes. ReCAM™ has a lighter footprint than conventional LFP cathode production because it avoids mining and refining, uses no strong acids, produces no sodium sulfate waste, needs no additional external precursors, and results in lower carbon emissions.

Yes. Arcam handles lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) black mass from battery recyclers, cell manufacturers, and collectors as feedstock for its ReCAM™ regeneration process, including black mass from end-of-life LFP batteries and LFP production scrap. Suppliers can reach Arcam through the supplier form on this page.

Arcam requires LFP black mass that meets defined limits on chemical composition, moisture, particle size, and magnetic and trace-metal contamination. Arcam shares its full black mass specification with prospective suppliers on request.

Arcam qualifies black mass suppliers in two stages. First, Arcam tests a sample of the supplier’s material against its specification at its existing production facility, which typically takes four to eight weeks. Suppliers whose material qualifies then move toward long-term offtake agreements for Arcam’s planned U.S. facility.

Black mass suppliers can use the supplier form on this page or email contact@arcam.tech. Include your company, location, typical monthly volume, and material source, such as end-of-life batteries or production scrap, and Arcam will follow up with its specification and sampling instructions.

Arcam was founded at MIT in 2021 by Ju Li, PhD, Professor of Energy Materials at MIT and Arcam’s Chief Science Officer, and Sa Li, PhD, Arcam’s President of China Operations. Lincoln Miara, PhD, leads Arcam’s U.S. operations as President.

Cell manufacturers, energy storage developers, battery recyclers, and investors can reach Arcam through the contact form on this page or at contact@arcam.tech. Arcam works with partners on cathode supply agreements, material qualification, and feedstock sourcing.