Despite offering an excellent energy source, lithium batteries can be somewhat difficult to recycle effectively. Hazardous chemicals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese can leak into the environment as a result.
But researchers developed a method to recycle lithium batteries that can retrieve 99.99% of the lithium. It can also recover up to 97% of nickel, 92% of cobalt, and 91% of manganese from the batteries.
In a study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, the researchers claimed to have found a "green and efficient strategy" that could open "a new pathway to realize the large-scale pollution-free recycling of spent batteries."
Lithium battery recycling typically involves a process that utilizes "acid or/and ammonia leaching techniques" to extract valuable metals. The researchers reported that excessive and repeated use of acids and bases can eventually strain the environment and pose safety threats.
Much like during the mining process, the leaking of metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese from spent lithium batteries can have detrimental effects on the environment. These metals can contaminate water, soil, and air, affecting plant and animal life and potentially posing severe risks to human health through food chain contamination.
The researchers developed a process called "neutral leaching" to combat this issue. It uses glycine, a stable amino acid that the researchers believe can efficiently leach valuable metals inside lithium batteries without the threat to the environment.
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This neutral leaching process can be completed within 15 minutes. According to the researchers, the new recovery method has "ultrafast efficiency with reduced chemical consumption and corrosive wastewater."
As scientists continue to make advancements in lithium battery technology, electric vehicles are becoming even greater tools to reduce harmful pollution and decrease our reliance on fossil fuels. Owning an electric vehicle can also save you money, as EVs generally require less maintenance than their gas-powered counterparts.
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