Recycling lithium-ion batteries offers more advantages than mining virgin metals

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This is how lithium-ion batteries are recycled, according to a new Stanford University lifecycle analysis published in Nature Communications. This is because retrieving critical metals from used lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has a much lower environmental impact than mining virgin metals. Recycling critical materials for end-of-life LIBs helps to alleviate growing environmental concerns and is essential for the long-term sustainability of electrified transport.

“This study shows that the future of battery recycling can be designed to optimize the benefits of the environment. William Turpe, assistant professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University and senior author of the study, said: He said: “We expect to run out of new cobalt, nickel and lithium over the next decade. We will probably mine low-grade minerals for some time, but 2050 and that year. The goal is not too far.”

Most of the data from battery recycling research came from Redwood Materials in Nevada, North America’s largest industrial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility. Recycled materials may not contribute significantly to global LIB demand for decades, but the establishment of a domestic circular supply chain is repetitive and the dominant supply of end-of-life LIB chemistry and foam factors As the supply evolves and increases, it requires multiple learning curves.

Why are lithium-ion batteries so important? The generation of intermittent renewable energy and the increase in vehicle electrification have resulted in exponential growth in lithium-ion battery production beyond home appliances. By 2030, the electric vehicle sector is projected to dominate LIB growth, accounting for 82% of the estimated 2.4 TWH YR -1 of total LIB production worldwide.

How does recycling lithium-ion batteries work? Lithium Ion Battery Recycles supplies two mainstream materials. It is flawed scrap material from battery manufacturers and what is called “dead” batteries collected primarily from the workplace. The recycling process extracts lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese and aluminum from these sources.

How did the research authors conduct their research? They quantified the refinement from natural deposits of mined concentrates to battery-grade materials in the traditional supply chain, comparing them to the production of these materials with Nevada’s redwood materials in 2021. Redwood Materials is a battery recycling company founded by former Tesla Chief Technology Officer. JB Straubel. Two LIB ingredients were investigated. Unactivated LIB production scrap from manufacturing facilities and end-of-life LIB collected from consumers.

How many emissions are there omitted from recycling? This study examined the environmental footprint of the redwood recycling process and found that less than half of the traditional mining and improved greenhouse gases (GHG) of these metals are produced. It uses about a quarter of the water and energy to mine new metals. The environmental benefits are even larger in the scrap stream, which accounted for about 90% of the researched recycled supply, including 19% of GHG emissions from mining and processing, 12% of water use and 11% of energy . use. Although not specifically measured, reduced energy usage is correlated with fewer air pollutants such as soot and sulfur.

Why do recycling facilities make a difference? The environmental impact of battery recycling depends heavily on the location of the processing facility and the power source. “Local battery recycling plants that rely heavily on the electricity generated by coal burning will reduce the benefits of climate,” said the three chief survey of Stanford’s doctoral student and researcher. Samantha Bunke, one of the members, said. “On the other hand, freshwater shortages in areas with clean electricity are of great concern.”

Nevada’s redwood materials benefit from a clean energy mix in the West of the United States, including hydroelectric power, geothermal and solar.

Does transportation play a role in reducing emissions through recycling? For example, in cobalt mining and processing, 80% of the global supply is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 75% of the battery’s cobalt supply moves to roads, rails and seas for refinement. Meanwhile, most of the global supply of lithium is mined in Australia and Chile. Most of that supply is also on the road to China.

JB Straubel admits that Redwood is trying to break China’s tensions over battery materials by using recycled critical metals to create domestic loops. “That’s shocking to me,” Straubel said.

Stanford’s study concluded that the total transport distance for traditional mining and refining only active metals in the battery averages about 35,000 miles (57,000 kilometers). “It’s like going around the world once and a half,” said Dr. Michael Machala, the lead author of the study. The equivalent process of battery recycling is to collect used batteries and scraps, which must be transported to a recycler. “The estimated total transport of used batteries from mobile phones or EVs to virtual refineries in California was approximately 140 miles (225 kilometers).

Does recycling lithium ions require a lot of fossil fuels? Yes, traditional pyrometal gully, an important purification step, is highly energy intensive. Usually it requires 2,550 degrees Fahrenheit (1,400 degrees Celsius). However, the materials for redwood have been patented for a process known as “reducing firing.” It requires low temperatures, does not use fossil fuels, and produces more lithium than traditional methods.

“Other thermophyte processes similar to redwoods are emerging in laboratories that operate at moderate temperatures and do not burn fossil fuels,” said the third leading author Xi Chen. said Xi Chen, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford during his time and is now an assistant professor. At Hong Kong City University. “Every time we talk about research, companies will ask us questions and incorporate what we find into more efficient practices. This study will include: “The best place for our new facility.” It can inform battery recycling companies of scale up, such as importance. California has no monopoly on aging lithium-ion batteries from mobile phones and EVs.”

Final Thoughts

Currently, the US recycles approximately 50% of available lithium-ion batteries, but for decades it has recycled 99% of lead acid batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries contain materials that have up to 10 times more economical value. With more used batteries available over the years, recycling systems may continue to evolve from collection to new batteries, minimizing environmental impact. With significant success in recycling, more battery manufacturers may consider recyclability in their future designs.