When Rice University professor James Tour and his team quickly heated spent lithium-ion batteries to over 4,040 degrees Fahrenheit, some astounding things happened.
By flash-heating the power packs in a matter of seconds, the waste formed magnetic shells and stable core structures. It is part of an exciting technique being developed to recycle expensive battery parts, according to a university lab report.
If successful, it could be a better method of reclaiming the valuable materials without hazardous chemical solvents and power-hungry processes. And the results could lead to cleaner batteries and electric vehicles, per the research team.
"With the surge in battery use, particularly in EVs, the need for developing sustainable recycling methods is pressing," Tour said in the lab summary.
Tour and the Rice researchers quickly heated the old batteries with an electric current, called flash joule heating. This stage transformed the power pack into other substances. The valuable cobalt-based cathodes became magnetic, making them easier to separate.
The team was able to recover 98% of the valuable battery metal, as stated by the report.
"Notably, the metal impurities were significantly reduced after separation while preserving the structure and functionality of the materials," Tour said.
While lithium-ion batteries require expensive, hard-to-gather metals, they remain a reliable power source for our EVs and tech.
Current packs are still powering cleaner rides when compared to gas-guzzling cars. That's true even in places where fossil fuels provide most of the energy to charge them, per U.S. Energy Department data.
Recovering and reusing pricey battery metals can lower costs and limit mining for more materials. The U.S. government has even pledged $62 million for battery recycling efficiency projects.
It could be money well invested, as New York City strategy consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that the battery sector, from mining to recycling, could grow 30% a year through 2030. In that scenario, the total industry value would reach $400 billion.
Recycling is a powerful way to use resources better and reduce costs, extending beyond batteries.
Ditching throwaway plastic utensils, cups, and other items in exchange for reusable ones can prevent heaps of trash from heading to landfills, where it can take hundreds of years to decompose. You could save $25 a year by avoiding single-use sandwich bags, as one example.
The recent Rice effort could help the EV market continue its expansion by providing recycled materials at a "minimal fee" and via a cleaner process.
"The bulk structure of battery materials remains stable and is ready to be reconstituted into new cathodes," Tour said in the lab report.
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