When they reach their life’s end, Li-ion batteries are recycled to recover the precious materials inside. Nevertheless, current methods are energy-consuming and release toxic chemicals that must be carefully managed. Thanks to a team of Berkeley Lab researchers, we now have a better way to do it, and it also improves battery performance.
Lithium-ion batteries power almost every device we use and are slowly expanding to new domains. With electric vehicles entering the mainstream, the need for more Li-ion batteries reaches new highs. The car industry swallows huge quantities of raw materials to turn into Li-Ion cells and is projected to need even more as EV production increases. Nevertheless, this poses two problems that need to be solved to switch to electric vehicles on a large scale.
First, there are insufficient raw materials for all the batteries humankind needs. Analysts’ projections indicate that the current nickel and cobalt resources might dry out in less than ten years if nothing changes. The second problem is that all these batteries used in cars and electronics have a finite life cycle. Sooner or later, they will not be useful anymore and need to be discarded. Ideally, they will be recycled, as this process would also address the first problem: reducing the need to mine new materials.
Battery recycling is an activity that only recently started to develop, especially after EV production boomed. Nevertheless, it already shows promising results, as up to 90% of the materials in EV batteries can be reused. More than that, recycled minerals are better and purer than newly-mined minerals. Unfortunately, current recycling technology is still in its infancy. Battery processor companies like Redwood Materials start by shredding and grinding the batteries, then burning them to separate the metals from the other components.
Nevertheless, scientists discovered that a better method is within reach. Using a new battery material, the team at Berkeley Lab has found that the batteries are not only better, but also incredibly simple to recycle. Their product was called “Quick-Release Binder” and allowed easy separation of valuable materials in Li-Ion batteries and recovery for reuse. A battery made with Quick-Release Binder would need to be opened and placed in an alkaline solution at room temperature to start recycling. The elements would then begin to separate, being easy to filter and dry.
The team made the discovery as part of their research on lithium-sulfur batteries. They created the Quick-Release Binder to solve one of the Li-S cells’ inherent problems that hinder their performance. Binders, as the name implies, are glue-like substances that hold a battery’s ingredients together. While working on their Li-S battery, researchers discovered that the material could also be used in Li-ion batteries, including those in electric vehicles.
Besides improving battery performance, the Quick-Release Binder also has a characteristic that helps during the recycling phase. The new binder is made from two polymers, polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI), that are joined together through a bond between positively charged nitrogen atoms in PEI and negatively charged oxygen atoms in PAA. When placed in an alkaline solution containing sodium hydroxide, the two polymers break apart, freeing any electrode components embedded within.
The new material allows the development of the first batteries “designed for recycling.” It represents a paradigm shift in battery manufacturing and can be used in a wide range of batteries, including Li-ion and alkaline cells. The team is already pitching their new material to battery manufacturers to discuss commercialization.
After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions. Full profile
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