A new study shows that lithium — a critical element used in rechargeable batteries and susceptible to supply chain disruption — can be recovered from battery waste using an electrochemically driven recovery process.
A new study shows that lithium — a critical element used in rechargeable batteries and susceptible to supply chain disruption — can be recovered from battery waste using an electrochemically driven recovery process. The method has been tested on commonly used types of lithium-containing batteries and demonstrates economic viability with the potential to simplify operations, minimize costs and increase the sustainability and attractiveness of the recovery process for commercial use.
The study, led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Xiao Su, describes a process that leaches metals from batteries into an organic solvent, then uses an electrochemical cell in which a polymer-coated electrode is used to capture lithium.
“The main challenge is the presence of other metals in lithium recovery streams, particularly in organic leachates, which is a common way to dissolve spent batteries for recycling,” Su said. “To overcome these challenges, we’ve introduced a copolymer that captures lithium selectively directly from organic solvents and that can be electrochemically regenerated.”
Read More at: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Photo Credit: PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay
