KIT Researchers Develop Inexpensive and Environmentally Compatible Mechanochemical Recycling – Published in Nature Communications Chemistry
Recovery of up to 70% lithium from battery waste without the need for corrosive chemicals, high temperatures or pre-sorting of materials: This is achieved through a recycling method developed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). This method combines mechanical processes and chemical reactions to enable inexpensive, energy-efficient and environmentally compatible recycling of all types of lithium-ion batteries. This result is reported in Nature Communications Chemistry (DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00844-2).
Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere in our lives. Not only are they used to wirelessly power notebooks, smartphones, toys, remote controls, and other small devices, they are also the most important energy storage system for the rapidly growing electric mobility sector. The increased use of these batteries will ultimately require economically and ecologically sustainable recycling methods. Currently, nickel and cobalt, copper and aluminum, and steel are mainly recovered and reused from battery waste. Lithium recovery remains expensive and largely unprofitable. Existing recovery methods are mostly metallurgical in nature, consume a lot of energy or produce dangerous by-products. In contrast, mechanochemical approaches based on mechanical processes to induce chemical reactions promise to achieve higher yields and sustainability at lower costs.
Compatible with various cathode materials
Such methods are currently being explored by the Department of Energy Storage Systems of the Institute for Applied Materials (IAM-ESS) at KIT, the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) for Electrochemical Energy Storage, which was established by KIT in cooperation with the University of Ulm, and Developed by EnBW Energie Baden. Württemberg AG. This is published in Nature Communications Chemistry. This method reaches up to 70% lithium recovery without the need for corrosive chemicals, high temperatures, or pre-sorting of materials. “This method can be applied to recover lithium from cathode materials of different chemistries, so it can be applied to a wide variety of commercially available lithium-ion batteries,” said Dr. Oleksandr Dolotko of IAM-ESS and HIU. I’m here. Publishing. “It makes recycling cheaper, more energy efficient, and environmentally friendly.”
room temperature reaction
Researchers use aluminum as a reducing agent in mechanochemical reactions. Since the aluminum is already in the cathode, no additional substance is required. This method works like this: First, the battery waste is pulverized. This material is then reacted with an aluminum-to-metal complex containing a water-soluble lithium compound. Lithium is recovered by dissolving these compounds in water and heating to evaporate the water. This method is very energy efficient as the mechanochemical reactions occur at ambient temperature and pressure. Another advantage is its simplicity. This makes it easier to use on an industrial scale, as we already have a lot of batteries to recycle in the near future.
Original: Battery recycling: recovering 70% of lithium
Than: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
