Researchers at Linnaeus University have developed a greener way to recover cobalt from used batteries. More than 97% of the cobalt can be recovered using a liquid solvent made of readily available substances derived from urine and acetic acid. Researchers believe it has good potential for large-scale applications.
The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries and the limited availability of metals such as cobalt required to manufacture lithium-ion batteries has created a need for efficient methods of recycling batteries.
Cobalt is one of the main components in modern lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in electric vehicles and smartphones. Demand for cobalt is strong and is expected to increase in the coming years. Still, only a fraction of discarded batteries are currently recycled.
“Current methods of recycling cobalt from batteries have many drawbacks. They require large amounts of energy and produce by-products that are dangerous to both humans and the environment. , instead of mining, we can recycle much of the cobalt that is already in use,” says Ian Nichols, a professor of chemistry at Linnaeus University.
Greener Battery Recycling
A new way to recycle cobalt developed by Ian Nicholls’ research group moves us towards a greener battery industry. This method addresses his two main problems with recycling today: high energy costs and hazardous waste.
In this method, lithium cobaltate, the material used in modern lithium-ion batteries, is dissolved using a liquid solvent to separate the cobalt. This can then be used to manufacture new batteries.
“The solvent is a combination of two readily available substances: a simple derivative of urea, which is naturally present in urine, and acetamide, which is easily recovered from acetic acid,” says Subramanian, one of the solvent researchers. Suriyanarayanan explains. Linnaeus University where he has been conducting research since 2013.
less energy required
A major advantage of this new solvent compared to the widely used cobalt recycling method is that the process can be carried out at much lower temperatures.
“In our case, the reaction is most efficient at 180 degrees Celsius. It’s more efficient,” says Ian Nicholls.
Work at scale
Researchers extracted more than 97% of the cobalt from lithium cobalt oxide that spent two days in a heated solvent.
The raw cobalt is then used to make new batteries and recycled while maintaining its effectiveness. The new battery was built in collaboration with researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India.
Researchers at Linnaeus University see the results as a step towards greener battery production.
“The combination of readily available, relatively harmless materials and high energy efficiency makes our method potentially useful for large-scale extraction,” says Ian Nicholls.
Original: New ways to recycle lithium-ion batteries reduce energy needs and environmental harm
Than: Linnaeus University
