Description of need
Recycling lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) effectively requires the separation of valuable metals (like lithium, cobalt, and nickel) from binders that hold the materials together on foils within the battery cells. Currently, materials are often burned to break down the binders like PVDF or PTFE, or processed with harsh solvents, both of which pose environmental and health hazards
There is a significant need for safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly methods to liberate these materials for reuse, especially as LIB volumes increase in tandem with the growth of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems.
Problem severity (1-10)
8
Who has this need
- Battery recyclers and material recovery facilities
Total addressable market (TAM)
The global LIB recycling market is projected to exceed $20 billion by 2030, driven by the rising demand for battery metals and the need to close the loop on battery production. Effective material liberation technologies could capture a significant share of this market by reducing costs, improving metal recovery rates, and enhancing environmental compliance.
Solutions today, and their shortcomings
- Thermal processing (incineration): Burning the binder releases toxic emissions and can lead to the loss of volatile metals, which reduces material recovery and requires expensive emissions controls.
- Solvent-based separation: Recyclers sometimes use toxic organic solvents to dissolve the binder, which is hazardous to handle, costly to dispose of, and poses environmental risks.
- Mechanical separation: Physical shredding and grinding can help, but without chemical processing, it’s challenging to fully liberate fine battery materials from binders.
- Direct recycling processes: Emerging but still limited, these focus on preserving battery materials without removing binders. However, they may not fully address the complexity of different LIB chemistries.
Potentially relevant capabilities
Unknown. Possibly:
- Binder-degrading enzymes or chemicals: Use of enzymes or mild chemicals that selectively break down PVDF/PTFE binders without harming valuable metals, reducing the need for high temperatures or toxic solvents.
- Low-temperature plasma treatment: Plasma processing could help degrade binders at relatively low temperatures, minimizing metal losses and emissions.
- Electrochemical methods: Processes that apply controlled electrical currents to weaken or separate the binder layer, enabling the recovery of cathode materials without aggressive chemicals.
- Advanced mechanical separation: Fine-tuned mechanical processes that can separate materials at the micro-scale, potentially combined with gentle thermal treatments to weaken binder bonds without combustion.
- Solvent recovery and recycling systems: If solvents are required, closed-loop systems that capture and recycle them to minimize environmental impact and reduce operating costs.
References
- 2024-11-12 Tim Johnston
- ChatGPT
- Studies from the U.S. Department of Energy’s ReCell Center on lithium-ion battery recycling technologies.
- Research published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on binder separation methods for LIBs.
- Reports by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on critical mineral recovery and LIB recycling.
- Industry analyses on LIB recycling trends and environmental regulations by Circular Energy Storage and Research and Markets.>)