Battery metal recycling by flash Joule heating
Weiyin Chen1, Jinhang Chen1, Ksenia V Bets2
1Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
Science Advances
|September 27, 2023
Summary
Flash Joule heating rapidly recycles lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), achieving high metal recovery with diluted acids. This eco-friendly method reduces environmental impact and enhances economic viability for battery recycling.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Growing accumulation of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) necessitates efficient recycling.
- Scarcity of critical battery metals demands sustainable resource management.
- Current LIB recycling methods face challenges in efficiency and environmental footprint.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an effective and low-environmental-footprint strategy for reclaiming metals from LIBs.
- To investigate the application of pulsed DC flash Joule heating (FJH) for LIB recycling.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing pulsed DC flash Joule heating (FJH) to rapidly heat LIB black mass to over 2100 K.
- Employing diluted acids (e.g., 0.01 M HCl) for metal leaching post-FJH treatment.
- Conducting life cycle analysis to compare FJH with conventional recycling methods.
Main Results:
- Achieved a ~1000-fold increase in leaching kinetics after FJH.
- Obtained high recovery yields for all battery metals across various LIB chemistries.
- Demonstrated thermal decomposition of the solid electrolyte interphase and reduction of metal compounds.
- Mitigated diffusional loss of volatile metals due to ultrafast heating.
Conclusions:
- FJH offers a highly efficient method for LIB metal recovery, even with dilute acids, reducing secondary waste.
- The FJH process significantly lowers the environmental footprint compared to existing recycling techniques.
- FJH presents an economically attractive and sustainable approach to spent LIB processing.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Charging Conductors By Induction
7.9K
The Earth is a good conductor of electricity, and it is so big that it can be considered an infinite source or sink of charges. It can easily exchange charges with any matter.
Generally, conductors like metals do not allow any excess charge to be present on them. Any excess charge added to metals easily flows away, for example, when a metal is placed on the Earth. This process is called earthing.
However, conductors can be charged by a process called induction. For example, consider charging a...
Generally, conductors like metals do not allow any excess charge to be present on them. Any excess charge added to metals easily flows away, for example, when a metal is placed on the Earth. This process is called earthing.
However, conductors can be charged by a process called induction. For example, consider charging a...
7.9K
01:25Eddy Currents
1.6K
Since eddy currents occur only in conductors, magnets can separate metals from other materials. For example, in a recycling center, trash is dumped in batches down a ramp, beneath which lies a powerful magnet. Conductors in the trash are slowed by eddy currents, while nonmetals in the trash move on, separating from the metals. This works for all metals, not just ferromagnetic ones.
Other major applications of eddy currents appear in metal detectors and the braking systems of trains and roller...
Other major applications of eddy currents appear in metal detectors and the braking systems of trains and roller...
1.6K
03:12Batteries and Fuel Cells
27.6K
A battery is a galvanic cell that is used as a source of electrical power for specific applications. Modern batteries exist in a multitude of forms to accommodate various applications, from tiny button batteries such as those that power wristwatches to the very large batteries used to supply backup energy to municipal power grids. Some batteries are designed for single-use applications and cannot be recharged (primary cells), while others are based on conveniently reversible cell reactions that...
27.6K
02:47Voltaic/Galvanic Cells
57.5K
Spontaneous Chemical Reactions
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...
57.5K