As the ReCell Center moves into its fourth year, it has expanded its program scope to cover Direct Recycling, Intermediate Recycling Processes, Design for Sustainability, and Modeling and Analysis. The Center continues to scale up its existing technologies and develop new technologies and apply them to the processing of both manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries. The presentation will highlight the expansion and progress of the Center.

As automakers scale electric vehicle (EV) production, battery recycling will become a key piece of the supply chain – and it’s equally important to remember that the lithium-ion batteries within EVs will need to be properly recycled at end-of-life.

OEMs and advanced battery manufacturers are seeking innovative ways to return used lithium-ion battery materials back to the EV battery supply chain. A circular battery economy is the goal, but there are several different ways to achieve it – some more efficient and economically compelling than others. This presentation will compare the predominant methods of lithium-ion battery recycling and cathode manufacturing with an eye toward greater efficiency, increased value, and lower carbon emissions.

Battery recycling provides a sustainable and secure material supply approach to addressing climate change through e-mobility. Two distinct challenges include (1) the diverse feed and significant pre-consumer scrap produced as battery plants come online, and (2) serving end-of-life vehicle disposal which will grow rapidly toward the end of the decade. Diversified, flexible, and robust recycling technology is required to close the materials loop in the most sustainable way.

This presentation compare and contrast recycling versus primary refining and will examine cost structures and technological advances.

Lithium-ion recycling is challenged by cost and safety related to potential for fire related to lithium and electrolytes. OnTo’s deactivation eliminates flammability and residual reactivity enabling a roadmap for safe, low-cost, end-of-life battery services essential to the industry. Deactivation coupled with cathode-healing provides safety and efficiency in material recycling that can be applied all along the manufacturing value chain. Dr. Sloop will present recent developments in application and scale of these innovative technologies.

As the landscape of the battery supply chain continues to change, only a focus on sustainable solutions will be able to meet the changing needs required to close the loop. A commitment to assisting with logistics, collection, recycling/material recovery, 2L, and cathode production is at the forefront of a circular battery supply chain. Learn about initiatives that will provide these solutions when there is scarcity for battery raw materials.

The high demand and production of LIBs drives the generation of vast stockpiles of spent LIBs in near future. Recycling of those waste LIBs not only alleviates the environmental impacts from disposal in landfills and reduces the influences of raw mineral extraction and refining, but also reduces costs and lowers risks of supply chain disruptions. However, the recycling of LIBs is not taking off due to many fundamental and technological challenges. The discussion will shed light on new solvent-based separation and regeneration processes as an enabling step towards direct recycling of LIBs.

Graphite is the state of the art for anode material and is critical raw material. However, graphite is not recycled at the moment. We developed a process using froth flotation that enables for the first time a highly selective recycling of both graphite and metals from lithium-ion batteries.

In the ReCell Center, we have been working towards finding a low-cost method to directly recycle cathode materials. To accomplish this, we needed to find strategies to separate all the materials in a battery without creating contamination. We have found a method to do this separation, and this talk will focus on how this process works to separate the various battery components and make high performing cathode material.

Separation and purification of cathode and anode active materials from lithium-ion batteries have been studied using froth flotation. Impact of the particles' surface chemistry have been studied, surface impurities such as PVDF binder and SEI layer could deteriorate flotation performance. After optimal thermal pretreatment, electrode particles have regained their orginal surface properties without structure and morphology change, over 99% of cathode active materials recovered with over 98% of grade.

This talk will focus on a potential strategy to directly recycle, and regenerate spent LIBs using a “non-destructive” approach, which will lead to new electrode materials that can show the same level of performance as the native materials. We will show successful recycling of various battery materials, including cathode (LiNiCoMnO2, LiMn2O4, and LiFePO4) and anode (graphite) using the direct regeneration approach. Such a strategy combines fundamental understanding and process optimization for remanufacturing of energy materials. It can potentially offer a sustainable solution for future energy storage.

Battery recycling will need a significant policy and regulatory push to enable the private sector to make it viable, particularly for medium-heavy-duty vehicles. This session will highlight the role that policy can play in advancing EV battery second-life use and recycling. I’ll also touch upon important areas of collaboration with the private sector and share good case practices from around the world.