TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process further comprises separating the two or more lithium metal compounds from graphite and collecting a graphite concentrate, separating the two or more lithium metal compounds from nickel oxyhydroxides or nickel metal hydride alloys and collecting a concentrate comprising a nickel oxyhydroxide or a nickel metal hydride alloy, flowing the slurry through at least one drum separator, a set of staged magnetic separators, at least one high-intensity magnetic filter or wet high-intensity magnetic separator, sorting electrochemical cell devices into lithium-ion devices and non-lithium-ion devices and comminuting the lithium-ion devices, disassembling electrochemical cell devices, separating electrochemical cell components from other components, and comminuting the electrochemical cell components, penetrating the electrochemical cells with an extraction solvent, removing a portion of electrolyte before comminuting the electrochemical cells, washing the electrode active material particles with a wash solvent to dissolve and remove polymeric electrode binder before mixing the electrode active material particles with the carrier fluid to form the slurry. The magnetic force is induced between: the magnetized particles and a magnetized surface of a drum in contact with the slurry; the magnetized particles and a magnetic flux-converging matrix in contact with the slurry; and magnetized particles in the slurry and an active magnetic surface in contact with the slurry in each magnetic separator, and the one electrode active material is separated and concentrated in each stage. Preferred Components: The two or more lithium metal compounds of formulae (LiMxNz) and (LiNi1-y1CoyO2). The two or more lithium metal compounds comprise LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiFePO4, LiNiO2, LiNiCoMnO2, LiNi1/3Co1/3Al1/3O2, LiNi(0.8)Co(0.2)O2, and LiNiO(0.833)CO(0.170)O2. The extraction solvent comprises supercritical carbon dioxide.M = Co, Mn, Ni, Fe or Al;N = inorganic counter ion comprising O22- and PO43-;x = 0-2;z = 1-5; andy1 =0-1.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The staged magnetic separators are high-intensity magnetic filters, wet high-intensity magnetic separators or drum separators. The successive magnetic separators comprise a lower magnetic field intensity or a lower magnetic field gradient and separate an electrode active material comprising a higher magnetic susceptibility value.