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Recycled lithium batteries perform just like new batteries
A research group from Aalto University shows that batteries can perform at their initial capacity level using an alternative lithium recycling method
Battery use is rapidly growing due to the boom in manufacturing and purchase of electric vehicles, smartphones and portable digital devices, which are becoming more and more important in our daily lives. This situation has led to the need to develop and improve energy storage technology.
From sourcing of materials, to manufacturing of storage structures and systems, all the way to disposal and recycling of substances and materials, the life cycle of batteries for energy storage is attracting increasing attention. In particular, efforts are being concentrated on developing new, more efficient and less costly ways to recycle lithium batteries.
A research group from Aalto University in Finland has conducted work in this area, disseminating it in their article entitled “The reuse of LiCoO2 electrodes collected from spent Li‐ion batteries after the electrochemical re‐lithiation of the electrode,” which was published on the website of Chemistry Europe, an association of 16 chemical societies from several European countries that collects high-quality scholarly chemistry journals.
The analysis found that one of the major causes of battery deterioration is lithium depletion in the electrode material. Traditional methods for recycling the lithium in batteries involve complex chemical processes to melt and separate the metals before their recovery. It is a laborious method that requires a great deal of energy and leads to loss of material along the way.
The Aalto University research team has come up with an alternative recycling method that reduces the number of steps in the process to recover the positive electrode while using less energy and giving the possibility to reuse the recycled materials. With this special reassembly of the lithium cobalt oxide electrodes (LiCoO2) of spent batteries, the existing structure is maintained: if the lithium cobalt oxide is doped with other substances, its original structure is restored and, after comparison of the performance between normal and treated electrodes, its capacity practically returns to fresh lithium levels.
"In our previous study on ageing of lithium cobalt oxide batteries, we noticed that one of the main causes of battery deterioration is the depletion of lithium in the electrode material. The structures can nevertheless remain relatively stable, so we wanted to see if they can be reused", explained Professor Tanja Kallio of Aalto University. “By reusing the structures of batteries we can avoid a lot of the labour that is common in recycling and potentially save energy at the same time. We believe that the method could help companies that are developing industrial recycling”, added Kallio.
The Aalto University research group conducted the experiments in the laboratory and on the basis of the excellent results, will now attempt application to other batteries, with the goal of reaching large-scale production.
From sourcing of materials, to manufacturing of storage structures and systems, all the way to disposal and recycling of substances and materials, the life cycle of batteries for energy storage is attracting increasing attention. In particular, efforts are being concentrated on developing new, more efficient and less costly ways to recycle lithium batteries.
A research group from Aalto University in Finland has conducted work in this area, disseminating it in their article entitled “The reuse of LiCoO2 electrodes collected from spent Li‐ion batteries after the electrochemical re‐lithiation of the electrode,” which was published on the website of Chemistry Europe, an association of 16 chemical societies from several European countries that collects high-quality scholarly chemistry journals.
The analysis found that one of the major causes of battery deterioration is lithium depletion in the electrode material. Traditional methods for recycling the lithium in batteries involve complex chemical processes to melt and separate the metals before their recovery. It is a laborious method that requires a great deal of energy and leads to loss of material along the way.
The Aalto University research team has come up with an alternative recycling method that reduces the number of steps in the process to recover the positive electrode while using less energy and giving the possibility to reuse the recycled materials. With this special reassembly of the lithium cobalt oxide electrodes (LiCoO2) of spent batteries, the existing structure is maintained: if the lithium cobalt oxide is doped with other substances, its original structure is restored and, after comparison of the performance between normal and treated electrodes, its capacity practically returns to fresh lithium levels.
"In our previous study on ageing of lithium cobalt oxide batteries, we noticed that one of the main causes of battery deterioration is the depletion of lithium in the electrode material. The structures can nevertheless remain relatively stable, so we wanted to see if they can be reused", explained Professor Tanja Kallio of Aalto University. “By reusing the structures of batteries we can avoid a lot of the labour that is common in recycling and potentially save energy at the same time. We believe that the method could help companies that are developing industrial recycling”, added Kallio.
The Aalto University research group conducted the experiments in the laboratory and on the basis of the excellent results, will now attempt application to other batteries, with the goal of reaching large-scale production.
