Recycling used cathodes from old lithium-ion batteries can make them as good as new. So why hasn’t this ever been done before? Well, it’s just now that researchers have discovered that cathodes can be revived into their former state.
How it works:
By Harvesting the degraded cathode particles from used batteries, boiling and heat treating them. The researchers built new batteries using the regenerated cathodes. They were able to restore charge storage capacity, battery life, and charging time.
The new method for recycling the batteries is used to recover and restore a lithium-ion battery cathode material called lithium cobalt oxide. This is used in consumer electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops.
This method also works on lithium-ion cathodes that contain nickel, manganese, and cobalt. These are primarily used in the majority of electric vehicles.
How They Restore Used Cathodes:
First they collect cathode particles from used lithium-ion batteries. Then they pressurized the cathode particles in a hot alkaline solution that contains lithium salt. This solution is reused to process more batches.
Once this is done, the particles go through a process in which they are heated to 800 degree Celsius and then gradually cooled.
Interestingly, this is the exact same process that is used to make the original cathode particles.
The process uses 5.9 megajoules of energy (this equals the same energy in around three quarters of a cup of gasoline) in order to restore one kilogram of cathode material.
Environmental and Industry Benefits:
Today, less than five per cent of used lithium-ion batteries are recycled. With the rise of electric vehicles and the depletion of cobalt and lithium, increased mining leads to soil and water contamination. Additionally, lithium and cobalt, as well as nickel, have increased in price.
It’s also huge for the battery market at large. The ability to transform old cathodes into new batteries means that there will never be a shortage — well, potentially. It’s also useful for in areas of the world where access to lithium-ion particles may be scarce.
The Overall Goal:
Given the imbalanced ratio between supply and demand, recycling cathodes optimizes this process for industrial scales. The research team plans on working with battery companies in Asia. They are also looking to further simplify the process to make it industrially feasible.
In the end, the team is working on a process that will enable them to recycle all used anodes.
Skeptics:
With any new process comes skepticism. After all, it’s not like these ideas have never been tested. Critics believe that intricacies in the process of restoration might be costly and involve more convincing than necessary.
