Method for driving production feedstock

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for providing a recycle feed content for the production of at least one component of a product is disclosed, the method comprising: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of the at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of the at least one production plant; - identifying a recycle feed content of the one or more recycled precursors based on the recycling data and the operational data; and - providing a recycle feed content of the one or more recycled precursors for the production of the at least one component of the product.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method, and respective system, apparatus, use or computer element, for providing plant allocation data usable for processing recycled materials. [Background technology]

[0002] Technology background The general background of this disclosure relates to the processing of recycled materials. To date, the processing of recycled materials is highly decentralized, i.e. plants for manufacturing recycled materials and new materials are spatially distributed. This makes the operation of the production process cumbersome. There is therefore a need to operate the production process in a more reliable and flexible way. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] Summary of the Invention 1. A computer-implemented method for providing a recycle feedstock content for production of at least one component of a product, comprising: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant; - determining a recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors based on the recycle data and the operational data; - providing a recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product; A method is disclosed that includes:

[0004] 1. A computer-implemented method for operating a production process for at least one component of a product, comprising: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant; - determining a recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors based on the recycle data and the operational data; - providing a recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product; A method is disclosed that includes:

[0005] 1. A computer implemented method for operating a production process of at least one component of a product, preferably the production of a material, e.g. for operating or monitoring and / or controlling a recycled feedstock for the production of at least one component of a product, preferably the production of a material, e.g. for controlling and / or monitoring a precursor feedstock of at least one virgin precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor, preferably for the production of a material, comprising: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant; - determining a recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors based on the recycle data and the operational data; - providing a recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product; - operating or monitoring and / or controlling the recycle feedstock, in particular based on the recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for production, for example monitoring and / or controlling the precursor feedstock of at least one virgin precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor based on the identified recycle feedstock content and / or the selected production plant; A method is disclosed that includes:

[0006] 1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring and / or controlling a recycled feedstock for the production of at least one component of a product, preferably a material, comprising: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant; - determining a recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors based on the recycle data and the operational data; - providing a recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product; - controlling and / or monitoring the recycle feedstock based on the recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for production; A method is disclosed that includes:

[0007] 1. An apparatus for providing a recycled feedstock content for the production of at least one component of a product, the apparatus comprising one or more computing nodes, the one or more computing nodes being operable, when executed by the one or more computing nodes, to perform the following steps: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant; - determining a recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors based on the recycle data and the operational data; - providing a recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product; and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions configured to cause the device to execute the method.

[0008] An apparatus for operating a production process, preferably for the production of a material, comprising one or more computing nodes and, when executed by the one or more computing nodes, the apparatus performs the following steps: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant; - determining a recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors based on the recycle data and the operational data; - providing a recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product; one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions configured to cause a An apparatus is disclosed comprising:

[0009] An apparatus for operating a production process of at least one component of a product, preferably the production of a material, e.g. for operating or monitoring and / or controlling a recycled feedstock for the production of at least one component of a product, preferably the production of a material, e.g. for controlling and / or monitoring a precursor feedstock of at least one virgin precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor, preferably for the production of a material, comprising one or more computing nodes and configured to, when executed by the one or more computing nodes, perform the following steps on the apparatus: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant; - determining a recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors based on the recycle data and the operational data; - providing a recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product; - operating or monitoring and / or controlling the recycle feedstock, in particular based on the recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for production, for example monitoring and / or controlling the precursor feedstock of at least one virgin precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor based on the identified recycle feedstock content and / or the selected production plant; one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions configured to cause a An apparatus is disclosed comprising:

[0010] 1. An apparatus for monitoring and / or controlling a recycled feedstock for the production of at least one component of a product, preferably a material, comprising one or more processing nodes and, when executed by the one or more processing nodes, the apparatus includes the steps of: - providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component of the product; - providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant; - determining a recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors based on the recycle data and the operational data; - providing a recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product; - controlling and / or monitoring the recycle feedstock based on the recycle feedstock content of one or more recycled precursors for production; one or more machine-readable media having machine-executable instructions configured to cause a An apparatus is disclosed comprising:

[0011] Use of the recycle feed content produced according to any of the methods disclosed herein or by any of the devices disclosed herein to monitor and / or control the production of at least one component, preferably a material, more preferably an electrode active material, of a product, or to identify the environmental discharge of at least one component, preferably a material, of a product produced, or to verify the recycling quota of a product. Also disclosed is a method for using the recycle feed content produced according to any of the methods disclosed herein or by any of the devices disclosed herein to monitor and / or control the production of at least one component of a product, comprising providing the recycle feed content produced according to any of the methods disclosed herein or by any of the devices disclosed herein, and generating instructions for monitoring and / or controlling the production of at least one component of a product, as provided according to any of the methods disclosed herein or by any of the devices disclosed herein.

[0012] Further disclosed is a computing element, such as a computer program or computer readable storage medium having instructions configured, when executed by one or more computing nodes of the computing environment, to perform any of the steps of the methods disclosed herein and / or as provided by any of the apparatuses disclosed herein.

[0013] Any disclosures and embodiments described herein relate to the methods, systems, uses, devices, and computer elements disclosed herein, and vice versa. Advantages provided by any of the embodiments and examples provided herein apply equally to all other embodiments and examples, and vice versa.

[0014] Advantageously, the disclosure referred to herein provides an efficient, sustainable and robust method for operating a production process with recycles. By identifying the recycle feed content, the operation of the production process can be simplified. By adjusting the production input via the recycle feed content for the precursor, it can be ensured that the output product complies with the emission and performance requirements of at least one component of the product, such as a material. In addition, greater flexibility may be achieved by adjusting the recycle feed content per precursor and by selecting a specific production plant. For some precursors, the recycle feed content may be static and for other precursors it may be dynamic. When the precursor is dynamic, the recycle feed content per precursor allows to overcome certain recycle shortages, to adapt the recycle feed content so that emission and performance requirements are still met, to adapt the recycle feed content so that target emissions are reduced, or simply to provide a maximum recycle feed content.

[0015] The object of the present invention is to provide an efficient, sustainable and robust method for operating a production process with recyclates. These and other objects will become apparent with reference to the following description and are solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims contain preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0016] A product may refer to any final product that contains recycled materials. At least one component of a product to be recycled as used herein should be understood broadly and may include a single component or multiple components of a single product type or multiple product types. At least one component of a product may include any component, any combination of components, or one or more products having one or more or all of the components.

[0017] Recycled precursors as used herein may be understood broadly and may include any material output from recycling of a product such as a battery. Recycled precursors may comprise any constituent of at least one component of a product produced, in any form. For example, recycled precursors may include one or more components to produce new materials. Recycled precursors may originate from any component of a recycled product, such as an electrode element, an electrode active material, an anode element, an anode active material, a cathode element, a cathode active material, a separator, an electrolyte, a cell, a module, etc. For example, recycled precursors may be recycled metal or metal-containing precursors to produce electrode active materials. For example, recycled precursors may be recycled transition metal or transition metal-containing precursors to produce electrode active materials. For example, recycled precursors may be recycled lithium precursors or recycled lithium-containing precursors to produce electrode active materials. For example, recycled precursors may be recycled lithium precursors or recycled lithium-containing precursors to produce electrode active materials. For example, recycled precursors may be recycled graphite precursors or recycled graphite-containing precursors to produce electrode active materials. For example, the recycled precursor may be a recycled silicon precursor or a recycled silicon-containing precursor for the production of an electrode active material. The recycled precursor may be provided separately or already in a desired stoichiometry to produce a new product or material. A plant as used herein may be broadly understood and may include any plant that produces a material, a product component, a product material, a component material, or a product.

[0018] In one embodiment, the recycle data comprises a recycle amount of one or more precursors, a recycle rate allocation for one or more precursors, and / or a total recycle rate feed content for at least one component of the product. Identifying the recycle rate feed content for one or more precursors may be determined as a function of the recycle rate amount of one or more precursor products, the recycle rate allocation for one or more precursor products, and / or a total recycle rate feed content for at least one component of the product to be produced. In this way, the recycle rate feed content can be flexibly adapted to requirements, taking into account the recycle rate included in the production of new components or materials.

[0019] In another embodiment, the method further comprises the step of providing target performance parameters associated with the chemical performance of the component produced. Identifying the recycle feed content may include identifying a chemical performance associated with the component produced by using the identified recycle feed content. The chemical performance may be identified for the recycle feed content. The chemical performance may be checked whether it meets the target performance parameters. The recycle feed content may be adapted if the chemical performance does not meet the target performance parameters. A recycle feed content may be provided whose chemical performance meets the target performance parameters. In this way, it is possible to ensure proper performance of the output product produced by the recycled precursor according to the recycle feed content.

[0020] In another embodiment, the method further includes providing at least one emission target for the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of at least one component. The recycled feed content may be identified based on the at least one emission target for the use of one or more recycled precursors. The at least one emission target may include an emission target per precursor. The at least one emission target may include an emission target for raw material precursors and recycled precursors. In this way, the recycled feed content may be tailored to the specific emissions for raw materials and recycled materials. This allows for flexible use of recycled precursors and reduced emissions for certain raw materials or virgin materials.

[0021] In another embodiment, the method further includes providing a total emission target for producing at least one component, and the recycle feed content is determined based on the total emission target for producing at least one component. The total emission target may be related to the recycle feed content and / or at least one operating characteristic of the production plant. In this way, the recycle feed content may be further adjusted with respect to the production process for the new component or material. This allows for flexible use of recycled precursors and reduced emissions related to precursor materials and production conditions.

[0022] In another embodiment, the operational data includes availability data regarding the availability of one or more recycled precursors for producing at least one component of the product. A recycle feedstock content for the one or more recycled precursors may be identified in response to the availability data. The availability data may be derived from a product or material identifier associated with the recycled material. The availability data may be derived from tracking the material in the recycling chain based on the product or material identifier. The availability data may be derived from tracking the material in the recycling chain through the material identifier. The availability data may be derived from tracking the material quantity in the recycling chain through the material identifier. In this manner, the availability of recycled precursors may be easily accessed in a decentralized computing environment based on identifier tracking as disclosed herein. The decentralized tracking platform enables reliable production even in environments with highly fragmented recycled material flows.

[0023] In another embodiment, the operational data comprises capacity data associated with a capacity of at least one production plant for producing the components of the product, process data relating to process details of the at least one production plant for producing the at least one component of the product, and / or emission data relating to emissions of the at least one production plant for producing the at least one component of the product. In another embodiment, the method further comprises a step of selecting a production plant for producing the at least one component of the product, the selection being dependent on the operational data, preferably the process data, the capacity data, and / or the emission data of the production plants. The capacity data of the production plants may relate to real-time or dynamic capacity enabling a more flexible and reliable production plant selection. The emission data of the production plants may relate to real-time or dynamic emission allocation enabling a more flexible production plant selection. The process data may relate to real-time or dynamic process details enabling a more tailored production plant selection.

[0024] In another embodiment, the method further includes selecting a production plant for producing at least one component of the product, the selection being dependent on the operating data, the at least one emission target, the total emission target, and / or the identified recycle feedstock content. A production plant that meets the at least one emission target for the use of the precursor and / or the total emission target for producing the at least one component may be selected. The selection of the production plant may be based on a multi-dimensional metric that defines a distance and / or a threshold measurement. The distance and / or threshold measurement may be determined from the process data, the capacity data, the emission data, and / or the identified recycle feedstock content in relation to the at least one emission target for the use of the precursor and / or the total emission target for producing the at least one component.

[0025] Further, the method may include identifying, based on the identified recycle feed content and / or the selected production plant, operating instructions for controlling the precursor feed of the at least one virgin precursor and / or the at least one recycled precursor based on the identified recycle feed content and / or the selected production plant, and providing operating instructions for controlling the precursor feed of the at least one virgin precursor and / or the at least one recycled precursor. Further, the method may include identifying, based on the identified recycle feed content and the selected production plant, operating instructions for controlling the operation of the selected plant, and providing operating instructions for controlling the operation of the selected plant.

[0026] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a battery having a battery identification element as an end-of-life product. [Diagram 2]1 shows a schematic diagram of a battery component having an identification element as an end-of-life product. [Figure 3a] 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of centralized and non-centralized computing environments having computing nodes. [Figure 3b] 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a centralized and non-centralized computing environment having computing nodes. [Figure 3c] 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a distributed computing environment. [Figure 3d] 1 illustrates an exemplary environment for making data accessible for processing. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary method for providing a material identifier package for recycling materials contained in a product, particularly one that can be used to operate a recycling process. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a flow diagram for providing a material identifier package that can be used specifically to operate a recycling process for recycling materials contained in a product. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an exemplary data structure based on a non-central identifier for a product. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates another exemplary data structure based on a non-central identifier for a product or component package. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a flow diagram for processing recycled materials, and in particular for providing plant allocation data usable for operating a recycling process. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a flow diagram for processing recycled materials, and in particular for providing plant allocation data usable for operating a recycling process. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a flow diagram for allocating plants to operate a recycling process. [Figure 11] 1 illustrates an exemplary data structure based on a non-central identifier for a material package or recycled material package associated with a plant identifier. [Figure 12] 1 illustrates an exemplary data structure based on a non-central identifier for a material package or recycled material package associated with a plant identifier. [Figure 13] 1 illustrates an exemplary data structure based on a non-central identifier for a material package or recycled material package associated with a plant identifier. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates an exemplary system for operating a recycling process in a recycling chain of end-of-life products. [Figure 15] 1 shows an example of a recycle chain for end-of-life products. [Figure 16] 1 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method for providing a recycle feedstock content for producing at least one component of an end-of-life product. [Figure 17] Another embodiment of a method for providing recycle feedstock content for producing at least one component of a product based on availability data, optionally including selection of a production plant, is presented. [Figure 18] Another embodiment of a method for providing recycle feedstock content for producing at least one component of a product is presented, including a chemical performance check. [Figure 19] Another embodiment of a method for providing recycle feedstock content for producing at least one component of a product is presented, including an emission target check and optional plant selection. [Figure 20] 13 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for inputting recycling quotas, chemical performance parameters, or emissions targets. [Figure 21] 13 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for inputting recycling quotas, chemical performance parameters, or emissions targets. [Figure 22] 13 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for inputting recycling quotas, chemical performance parameters, or emissions targets. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Detailed Description of the Embodiments The following embodiments are merely examples for implementing the methods, systems, or computer elements disclosed herein and should not be considered as limiting.

[0029] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a battery 10 having battery identification elements 12, 14. This is an optional embodiment of a post-service product. Any plastic packaging, electronic device, or other post-service product could equally be used, and the mere description of the battery embodiment does not limit the scope of the fundamental concepts described herein.

[0030] The battery 10 may include a battery management system 16 and a number of battery cells 18 disposed inside a battery housing 20. The battery cells 18 may be arranged in a battery pack or module that includes a number of the battery cells 18. The battery cells 10 may include an electrolyte 22, an anode element 24, a cathode element 26, and / or a separator 28.

[0031] Depending on the application, the battery includes different material compositions for different components. For example, the battery may be a lithium-ion battery. The cathode element 26 may include an active material coated on a current collector foil, such as an aluminum or copper foil. Additional binders, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and / or carbon as a conductive agent may be included. The cathode active material may include layered oxides (LiMO2 with M=Co, Ni, Mn, Al, e.g., LCO(LiCoO2), NCM(LiNixMnyCozO2), NCA(LiNixCoyAlzO2)), spinels (LiM2O4 with M=Mn, Ni, e.g., LMO(LiMnO4)), or phosphates (LiMPO4 with M=Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, e.g., LiFePO4).

[0032] The anode element 24 may include an anode active material coated on a current collector foil, such as an aluminum or copper foil. The active material may include synthetic graphite, natural graphite, or compositions thereof. The active material may include silicon, SiO2, lithium titanate (LTO), or combinations thereof. The active material may include a binder, such as styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), a polymeric thickener, such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and a carbonate as a conductive agent.

[0033] The electrolyte may include salts, solvents, and additives such as carbonates, esters, or ethers to provide electrical conductivity. A mixture of cyclic carbonates such as ethylene carbonate (EC) or propylene carbonate (PC) and open-chain carbonates such as dimethyl carbonate (DMC) may be included. As conductive salts, lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), lithium bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfonylimide (LiTFSI) and its derivatives (e.g., lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI)) or lithium [tris(pentafluoroethyl)-trifluorophosphate] (LiFAP), lithium 4,5-dicyano-2-trifluoromethyl-imidazolide (LiTDI), lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), and / or diethyl carbonate (DEC) may be used.

[0034] The separator may divide the space between the electrodes and is permeable to ions. Types of separators include: microporous membranes, ceramic coated separators, non-woven mats, solid inorganic or polymer electrolytes. For example, polyolefin-based membranes coated with PVDF or ceramic may be used.

[0035] The battery identification element 12, 14 may be physically associated with the battery 10. The identification element 12, 14 may be physically attached to the battery housing or may be part of the battery management system 16. The identification element 12, 14 may be located inside or outside the battery housing 20. The identification element 12, 14 may be a passive identification element 14. The passive element 14 may be located on the exterior surface of the battery housing 20. The passive element 14 may be based on a marker embedded in a material. The passive element 14 may include a printed code such as a barcode or a QR code. The identification element 12, 14 may be an active identification element 14. The active element 14 may be a transmitter or transceiver tag, such as an RFID tag that allows communication via NFC, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or other suitable near-medium range communication protocol. The identification element 14 may be part of the battery management system 16, for example a digital product identifier may be stored in the battery management system 16 or may be retrieved from the battery management system via a communication protocol such as NFC, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or other suitable short to medium range communication protocol.

[0036] The battery identification elements 12, 14 may be associated with a digital battery identifier or digital product identifier. The digital product identifier may be unique to the battery. The digital product identifier may further be associated with data regarding the identified battery. Such data may include any data collected during the manufacturing or life of the battery 10. For example, such data may include material data, such as material composition data, collected during the production of the battery, or monitoring data collected during the use of the battery may be associated with the digital battery identifier. The data regarding the identified battery or portion thereof may relate to or include the material composition data. The material composition data may be controlled by one or more material producers, for example through authentication and / or authorization mechanisms. The material composition data may be controlled by one or more material producers. One or more material producers may provide their respective material composition data for access by participant nodes of the non-central computing environment. The data regarding the battery or portion thereof may be stored in a database associated with a participant node of the non-central computing environment, in particular associated with a producer of the battery, component, or material, or a user of the battery. A participant node that stores data regarding an identified battery or portion thereof may provide access to other participant nodes, e.g., via peer-to-peer communications including authentication and / or authorization mechanisms. The data regarding an identified battery or portion thereof may relate to or include material composition data associated with cathode elements, such as cathode active materials, anode elements, separators, and / or electrolytes. For example, material composition data may be associated with electrode active materials. Such data may be provided by material producers for access by participant nodes of non-central computing environments, e.g., via peer-to-peer communications including authentication and / or authorization mechanisms.

[0037] The digital product identifier may include or be associated with at least one non-centralized identifier. The non-centralized identifier may comprise any unique identifier uniquely associated with the data owner and the identified battery 10. Including a data point may relate to a data package including such data points and / or data digitally linked or associated in any way to the data points to virtually or digitally form a data package. The non-centralized identifier may comprise data regarding the identified battery, such as material composition data, and any unique identifier uniquely associated with the identified battery 10. The non-centralized identifier may include or be associated with one or more universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) or one or more digital identifiers (DIDs). The non-centralized identifier may be issued by a centralized or decentralized identity information issuer. The non-centralized identifier may include authentication information for authentication of the data regarding the identified battery. Through the non-centralized identifier and its unique association with the identified battery 10, access to the data regarding the identified battery may be controlled by at least one data owner. This is in contrast to a central authority scheme, where identifiers are provided by a central authority and access to the data is controlled by such central authority. In this context, non-centralized refers to the use of identifiers as controlled by any data owner. The data may be hosted in a database associated with or under the control of the data owner. The identification elements 12, 14 may be configured to provide a digital product identifier for accessing data about an identified battery.

[0038] The non-centralized identifier may include one or more identifiers used in the non-centralized computing environment to enable data exchange through the non-centralized computing environment, such as a peer-to-peer communication channel. The data exchange may include discovery of the non-centralized identifier for a participant node of the non-centralized computing environment, authentication of the participant node of the non-centralized computing environment, and / or authorization of data transfer via peer-to-peer communication between participant nodes of the non-centralized computing environment.

[0039] The data owner may comprise any entity generated data, particularly data relating to the identified battery. The generating node may be coupled to an entity that owns the physical product from or for which the data, particularly data relating to the identified battery, is generated. The data, particularly data relating to the identified battery, may be generated by a third party entity on behalf of the entity that owns the physical product from or for which the data is generated. The data owner may be a producer of the material, the components contained in the battery, or the battery, such as a material producer, component producer, or product producer. Through the decentralized identifier and its unique association with the data owner and the data relating to the identified battery, access to the respective data may be controlled by the data owner. The data relating to the identified battery may be accessible to the data owner. The data owner may therefore directly or indirectly own or control the data relating to the identified battery. The data relating to the identified battery may be stored in a database of the data owner or a database associated with the data owner. The data relating to the identified battery may be stored in a database accessible by the data owner. The data owner may control access to the data relating to the identified battery via the data owner's data provisioning service. The data owner may control access to the data relating to the identified battery. The data regarding the identified battery may be associated with a data owner. The data owner may be the owner or controller of the data regarding the identified battery, or the data owner of the identified battery. The data regarding the identified battery may be stored in the data owner's database or under the control of the data owner. In this sense, a data owner may refer to an entity that has access to the data regarding the identified battery, or a portion thereof, and that controls access by data consumption services of the decentralized computing environment to the data regarding the identified battery, or a portion thereof.

[0040] In particular, the digital product identifier may be associated with material composition data that specifies the material composition of one or more components of the battery. The digital product identifier may be associated with the battery 10, and the material composition data may specify the material composition of one or more components of the battery 10.

[0041] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a battery component 30 having identification elements 32, 34. As discussed in relation to Figure 1, the selection of a battery as an example of an end-of-life product is arbitrary and should not be construed as limiting.

[0042] The battery component 30 may include one or more subcomponents of the battery 10. The subcomponents may include the battery management system 16, the battery housing 20, a battery module or pack having a plurality of battery cells 22, the battery cells 22, or a combination of such subcomponents. A battery component identification element 32, 34 may be associated with the battery component 30. The identification element 32, 34 may be physically attached to the battery component 30. The identification element 32, 34 may be located inside or outside the battery component 30. The identification element 32, 34 may be a passive or active identification element 32, 34 as described in connection with FIG. 1. The battery identification element 32, 34 may be associated with a digital battery component identifier. The digital product identifier may include at least one non-central identifier associated with the identified battery component 30 as described in connection with FIG. 1. In particular, the identification element 32, 34 may be configured to provide a digital battery component identifier for accessing data regarding the identified battery component, such as material composition data as described in connection with FIG. 1. The product identifier may be associated with a component 30 for which material composition data specifies a material composition.

[0043] 3a-3c show different computing environments: centralized, decentralized and distributed. The disclosed method, apparatus, system, use and computer elements may be implemented in a decentralized or at least partially decentralized computing environment. Providing, identifying or processing data may be realized by different computing nodes that may be implemented in a centralized, decentralized or distributed computing environment.

[0044] Figures 3a, b show exemplary embodiments of centralized and decentralized computing environments with computing nodes. Figure 3c shows an exemplary embodiment of a distributed computing environment. Figure 3d shows an example environment for making data accessible. Such an environment may be implemented according to the International Data Space (IDS) or Digital Identifier based standards from the W3C. Such an implementation helps make data associated with decentralized identifiers from material providers accessible to data consumers.

[0045] FIG. 3a illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a central computing system 100 comprising a central computing node 101 (solid circle in the center) and several peripheral computing nodes 101.1-101.n (shown as solid circles around the periphery). The term "computing system" is broadly defined herein to include one or more computing nodes, a system of nodes, a network node, or a combination thereof. The term "computing node" is broadly defined herein and may include any device or system that includes at least one physical, tangible processor, and / or a physical, tangible memory capable of having computer executable instructions executed by the processor. Computing nodes are now increasingly taking a variety of forms. Computing nodes may be, for example, handheld devices, production facilities, sensors, monitoring systems, control systems, home appliances, laptop computers, desktop computers, mainframes, data centers, or even devices that have not traditionally been considered computing nodes, such as wearables (e.g., glasses, watches, etc.). Memory may take any form and depends on the nature and form of the computing node.

[0046] In this embodiment, the peripheral computing nodes 101.1-101.n may be connected to one central computing system (or server). In another embodiment, the peripheral computing nodes 101.1-101.n may be attached to the central computing node, for example via a terminal server (not shown). Most of the functionality may be performed by or obtained from the central computing node (also referred to as a remote central location). One peripheral computing node 101.n is expanded to provide an overview of the components present in the peripheral computing nodes. The central computing node 101 may comprise the same components as described with respect to the peripheral computing nodes 101.n.

[0047] Each computing node 101, 101.1-101.n may include at least one hardware processor 102 and memory 104. The term "processor" may include any logic circuitry configured to perform the basic operations of a computer or system, and / or generally, any device configured to perform calculations or logical operations. In particular, a processor or computer processor may be configured to process the basic instructions that run a computer or system. A processor may be a semiconductor-based processor, a quantum processor, or any other type of processor configured to process instructions. As an example, a processor may be or may include a central processing unit ("CPU"). A processor may be a graphics processing unit ("GPU"), a tensor processing unit ("TPU"), a complex instruction set computing microprocessor ("CISC"), a reduced instruction set computing ("RISC") microprocessor, a very long instruction word ("VLIW") microprocessor, or a processor implementing other instruction sets, or a combination of instruction sets. The processing means may also be one or more dedicated processing devices, such as an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), a field programmable gate array ("FPGA"), a complex programmable logic device ("CPLD"), a digital signal processor ("DSP"), a network processor, etc. The methods, systems, and devices described herein may be implemented as software in a DSP, a microcontroller, or any other side processor, or as hardware circuitry in an ASIC, a CPLD, or an FPGA. It should be understood that the term processor may also include one or more processing devices, such as a distributed system of processing devices located across multiple computer systems (e.g., cloud computing), and is not limited to a single device unless otherwise specified.

[0048] The memory 104 may include physical system memory, which may be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination thereof. The memory may include non-volatile mass storage, such as physical storage media. The memory may be a computer readable storage medium, such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, non-magnetic disk storage, such as solid state disks, or any other physical, tangible storage medium that can be used to store desired program code means in the form of computer executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computing system. Moreover, the memory may be a computer readable medium (also called a transmission medium) that carries computer executable instructions. Furthermore, the program code means in the form of computer executable instructions or data structures may be automatically transferred from the transmission medium to the storage medium (or vice versa) when reaching various computing system components. For example, computer executable instructions or data structures received over a network or data link may be buffered in a RAM in a network interface module (e.g., a "NIC") and then eventually transferred to the computing system's RAM and / or to a less volatile storage medium residing in the computing system. Thus, it should be understood that storage media may be included in computing components that also (or even primarily) utilize transmission media.

[0049] Computing nodes 101, 101.1,..., 101.n may include a number of structures 106, often referred to as "executable components, executable instructions, computer-executable instructions, or instructions." For example, memory 104 of computing nodes 101, 101.1,..., 101.n may be depicted as including executable components 106. The term "executable components" or any equivalent thereof may refer to structures that may be software, hardware, or a combination thereof, or structures that are well understood by those skilled in the computing arts as being structures that may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, when implemented in software, those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of executable components includes software objects, routines, methods, etc., that execute on computing nodes 101, 101.1,..., 101.n, regardless of whether such executable components reside on multiple computing nodes 101, 101.1,..., 101.n, or whether the executable components reside on computer-readable storage media. In such cases, one skilled in the art will recognize that the structure of the executable components resides on a computer-readable medium such that, when interpreted by one or more processors (e.g., by processor threads) of the computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n, the computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n perform the functions. Such structures may be directly computer readable by the processors (as if the executable components were binary). Alternatively, the structures may be structured such that they can be interpreted and / or compiled (whether in one or more stages) to generate binaries that are directly interpretable by the processors. Such an understanding of an exemplary structure of an executable component is well within the understanding of one skilled in the computing arts when using the term "executable component."Examples of executable components implemented in hardware include hard-coded or hard-wired logic gates that are implemented exclusively or almost exclusively in hardware, such as in a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other dedicated circuit. In this description, the terms "component," "agent," "manager," "service," "engine," "module," "virtual machine," and the like are used synonymously with the term "executable component."

[0050] The processor 102 of each computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n may direct the operation of each computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n in response to executing computer-executable instructions that constitute executable components. For example, such computer-executable instructions may be embodied on one or more computer-readable media forming a computer program product. The computer-executable instructions may be stored in the memory 104 of each computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n. The computer-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that, when executed by the processor 101, cause a general-purpose computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n, a special-purpose computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n, or a special-purpose processing device to perform a particular function or group of functions. Alternatively or additionally, computer-executable instructions may configure a computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n to perform a particular function or group of functions. The computer-executable instructions may be binaries or even instructions that undergo some translation (e.g., compilation) before being executed directly by a processor, such as intermediate format instructions such as assembly language or even source code.

[0051] Each computing node 101, 101.1,..., 101.n may include a communication channel 108, e.g., a network (shown as solid lines between peripheral computing nodes and the central computing node), that allows each computing node 101.1,..., 101.n to communicate with the central computing node 101. A "network" may be defined as one or more data links that enable the transmission of electronic data between the computing nodes 101, 101.1,..., 101.n, modules, and / or other electronic devices. When information is transferred or provided to the computing nodes 101, 101.1,..., 101.n via a network or another communication connection (either wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless), the computing nodes 101, 101.1,..., 101.n properly consider the connection to be a transmission medium. A transmission medium may be used to carry desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and may include a network and / or data links accessible by general-purpose or special-purpose computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n. Combinations of the above may also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0052] Computing nodes 101, 101.1-101.n may further comprise a user interface system 110 used to interface with a user. User interface system 110 may include an output mechanism 110A and an input mechanism 110B. The principles described herein are not limited to the precise output mechanism 110A or input mechanism 110B as such will depend on the nature of the device. However, output mechanism 110A may include, for example, a display, a speaker, a display, a haptic output, a hologram, etc. Examples of input mechanism 110B include, for example, a microphone, a touch screen, a hologram, a camera, a keyboard, a mouse or other pointer input, any type of sensor, etc.

[0053] FIG. 3b illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a decentralized computing environment 100′ or decentralized network with several computing nodes 101.1′-101.n′ shown as solid circles. The decentralized network may include a set protocol for authentication and / or authorization. In contrast to the centralized computing environment 100 shown in FIG. 3a, the computing nodes 101.1′-101.n′ of the decentralized computing environment are not connected to the central computing node 101 and are therefore not under the control of the central computing node. Instead, both hardware and software resources may be allocated to each individual computing node 101.1′, . . . , 101.n′ (local or remote computing system) and data may be distributed among the various computing nodes 101.1′, . . . , 101.n′ for task execution. Thus, in a decentralized system environment or decentralized network, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. A single computing node 101′ is zoomed in to provide an overview of the components present in the computing node 101′. In this embodiment, computing node 101' comprises the same components as described with respect to FIG. 3a.

[0054] FIG. 3c illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a distributed computing environment 103. In this description, "distributed computing" may include any computing that utilizes multiple computing resources. Such use may be realized through virtualization of physical computing resources. One example of distributed computing is cloud computing. "Cloud computing" may refer to a model for enabling on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services). When distributed, a cloud computing environment may be distributed internally within an organization and / or across multiple organizations. In this example, the distributed cloud computing environment 103 may include the following computing resources: mobile devices 114, applications 116, databases 118, data storage 120, and servers 122. The cloud computing environment 103 may be deployed as a public cloud 124, a private cloud 126, or a hybrid cloud 128. The private cloud 124 may be owned by the organization, and only members of the organization with appropriate access may use the private cloud 126, keeping the data in the private cloud at least confidential. In contrast, data stored in the public cloud 126 may be open to anyone via the Internet. A hybrid cloud 128 may be a combination of a private cloud 124 and a public cloud 126, where some data may be allowed to remain private while other data may be publicly available.

[0055] Referring back to Figures 1 and 2, embodiments of battery or battery component identifiers provided by the identification elements 12, 14, 32, 34 of the battery as a product to be recycled may be processed at least in part in a non-centralized computing environment or non-centralized network. For example, the battery or battery component identifier may be configured to access battery or battery component data, such as material data or material composition data. The product or product component identifier may be configured to access product or product component data, such as material data or material composition data. Furthermore, the non-centralized identifier may be associated with a recycling or production plant involved in the recycling or production of the battery. The recycling or production plant identifier may be configured to access operational data, such as recycling or production plant data. Examples of operational data may be capacity data, process specific data, or location data. By associating such non-centralized identifiers with authentication information and optionally authorization rules, data may be securely and reliably shared across participants or systems of the production and / or recycling chain via non-centralized network nodes associated with such participants, such as peer-to-peer communication.

[0056] FIG. 3d illustrates an exemplary environment or decentralized network 300 for making data accessible according to standards set by the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA; e.g., IDS Reference Architecture Version 3.0 April 2019) or the W3C (Decentral Identifiers (DID) v1.0, Core architecture, Specification, and representations, per W3C Proposed Recommendation 03 August 2021). Such an implementation helps make data associated with decentralized identifiers from material providers accessible to data consumers.

[0057] In an embodiment, a data providing service 304 including a data retrieval system 308 and a connector 310 shares material data 316 with a data consuming service 306 including a data retrieval system 312 and a connector 314 via a decentralized network protocol. The data providing service 304 and the data consuming service 306 are associated with network nodes or computing nodes of a network. The data providing service 304 and the data consuming service 306 are associated with local databases 320a, 320b controlled by the respective participant nodes.

[0058] Data regarding the identified battery or portion thereof may be provided or made accessible in association with the material, component, and / or battery 302 in response to an identifier for such data. The material, component, and / or battery 302 may be associated with a digital identifier. The digital identifier may include one or more non-centralized identifiers, for example as described in association with FIGS. 1-3. The non-centralized identifier may be an identifier in the non-centralized network 300 that enables data exchange over the non-centralized network 300 between participant nodes via data providing / consuming services 304, 306. One participant node in FIG. 3d may be associated with the data providing service 304. Another participant node in FIG. 3d may be associated with the data consuming service 306. The data exchange may include discovery of the non-centralized identifier for a participant node in the non-centralized network 300, authentication of the participant node in the non-centralized network 300, and / or authorization of data transfer over peer-to-peer communication between participant nodes in the non-centralized network 300.

[0059] Upon reading the identifier elements, e.g., via a reader element 308 as illustrated in Figures 1 or 2, a digital identifier for each battery, component, or material may be provided, e.g., via a non-central network database (not shown). Digital relationships between the identifiers may be provided, where the digital relationships may reflect the physical relationships of the battery, its components, and its materials. The identifiers may relate to digital representations of battery data or portions thereof relating to the battery, its components, or materials.

[0060] The battery identifier may include or relate to a non-centralized identifier that is uniquely associated with the identified battery. Similarly, the identifier may relate to a component or material of the battery. The non-centralized identifier may include one or more universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) or digital identifiers (DIDs). The non-centralized identifier may include any unique identifier that is uniquely associated with a data owner, a battery, a component, and / or a material. The data owner may be the producer of the battery, component, or material. Through the non-centralized identifier and its unique association with the data owner, the battery, component, and / or material access to the battery data or portions thereof may be controlled by the data owner.

[0061] The non-central identifier may be connected to a digital representation of battery data associated with the battery, components contained in the battery, or materials contained in the battery. The digital representation may include a representation for accessing the battery data or a portion thereof, such as material data or material composition data, as may be provided by a material producer. The digital representation of the battery data or a portion thereof may be stored in a non-central database (not shown). The battery data or a portion thereof, such as material data or material composition data, may be stored in a local database associated with a data owner, such as a material, component, or battery producer.

[0062] The battery 10 may be associated with or related to a digital representation of battery data or a part thereof associated with the battery, components of the battery, and / or materials contained in the battery or its components. The digital representation may relate to a respective digital identifier of the battery 10, components and / or materials contained in the battery 10 or its components. The digital representation may point to, be linked to, or provide a link to the battery data or a part thereof, such as components of the battery and / or materials contained in the battery or its components. The digital representation may comprise at least one interface to a data providing service 304 that makes the respective battery data or a part thereof accessible or that is configured to transfer the respective battery data or a part thereof. The digital representation may include at least one interface to a data consuming service that is configured to access or receive the respective battery data or a part thereof. The digital representation may include an endpoint for data exchange or sharing (resource endpoint) or an endpoint for service interaction (service endpoint) that is uniquely identified via a communication protocol. A digital representation indicating data regarding a battery or a portion thereof may thus be uniquely associated with the decentralized identifier.

[0063] Upon providing the identifier, a representation pointing to the respective data, e.g., material data or material composition data, may be provided to the data consuming service 306, e.g., via a non-central registry. In an example of material composition data, which should not be considered limiting, the material composition data may be stored in a database 310 associated with the material producer or provider. The data consuming service 306 associated with the reader 308 may request access to such data from the data providing service 304 of the material producer or provider. Authentication and / or authorization information linked to the identifier may be shared to authenticate and / or authorize access from the data consuming service 306 to the data provided by the data providing service 304. The authentication and / or authorization information may be provided for authentication and / or authorization of the data providing service 304 and / or the data consuming service 306.

[0064] In one embodiment, the data for the battery portion includes one or more digital representations that point to, link to, or provide a link to the material composition data or a portion thereof. In one embodiment, the data for the battery portion includes one or more digital representations that point to, link to, or provide a link to the battery data or material data or a portion thereof stored in, for example, a local database of a material provider. In this context, pointing, linking, or linking means any network representation or address suitable for accessing the data for the battery portion stored in a local database. The data for the battery portion may include multiple digital representations that point to, link to, or provide a link to separate portions of the battery data. The data for the battery portion may include multiple digital representations that point to, link to, or provide a link to different portions of the battery data. Such different portions may overlap at some data points. The representations may include access points to the battery data, links for accessing the battery data, endpoints for accessing the battery data, and / or service endpoints for accessing the battery data. In this manner, the battery data may be maintained and controlled by the data owner. Because there is no need to check and access control multiple distributed data points, access can be provided via a representation of an access point that simplifies data validation, integrity checks, or quality checks and access control. The battery data may be stored in a database 320 of the data owner or a database 320 associated with the data owner. The battery data may be stored in a database 320 accessible to the data owner. A digital representation that points to, links to, or provides a link to the battery data or a portion thereof may be associated with or related to any such database associated with the data owner or accessible to the data owner.For added security, the digital representation indicative of the battery data or portions thereof may be associated with the data owner or indirectly related to any such database accessible to the data owner.

[0065] Similar to the access and transfer of data as described above for the example material composition data, other data may be securely shared within a decentralized network between different nodes associated with different participants in the network. Any data provided in the different methods, embodiments, and systems described may be provided by nodes of the decentralized network.

[0066] The at least partial decentralized structure based on decentralized identifiers enables novel methods, apparatus, systems, computer elements, computer executable instructions, and their use in product recycling processes, which are described below.

[0067] 4 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary method for providing a material identifier package that can be used for recycling materials contained in a product, and in particular for operating a recycling process based on the material identifier package or for sorting products to be recycled, such as batteries, based on material composition data associated with a product identifier, which may be implemented in a network such as that illustrated in FIG.

[0068] The material identifier package may include a digital identifier associated with the product to be recycled, such as a battery. By bundling the digital identifiers according to their associated material composition, the products to be recycled, particularly the batteries, may be physically bundled by material composition that is otherwise not easily accessible from the physical products, particularly the batteries. In this way, physical products, such as batteries, may be virtually or digitally bundled so that the recycling process can be performed more efficiently. To do so, collection, sorting, and / or transportation instructions may be derived based on the material identifier package to physically bundle the respective products, particularly the batteries, according to their material composition, simplifying the recycling process.

[0069] A product identifier associated with the product to be recycled may be provided. Such data may be provided, for example, via an identifier element physically connected to the product or a component of the product to be recycled, as described in connection with Figs. 1-3. The product identifier may thus be associated with the product and / or product component to be recycled. The identifier element of the product may be read, as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. The material data may be retrieved by a node of the non-central network associated with reading the identifier element. The non-central identifier may be retrieved. Based on the non-central identifier, a digital representation of the battery data or a portion thereof may be retrieved. The representation may include a link or pointer to the data. The battery data may include material composition data. The material composition data may be provided by a node of the non-central network associated with a producer of the product, a component of the product, or a material used to produce the product, such as a cathode active material used to produce a cathode element of the battery 10. The node of the non-central network associated with reading the identifier element may request access to the material composition data, for example, as described in connection with Figs. 1-3.

[0070] Based on the product identifier, material data, such as material composition data, may be accessed, for example, as described in relation to Figs. 1-3. For example, cathode active materials are valuable to recycling processes due to precious metals contained in the cathode active materials. Battery material composition data relating to the material composition of the cathode active materials may be accessed to recover and recycle such materials for the manufacture of new batteries. For example, material data may be accessed through a data service associated with each product identifier and requesting access to material data controlled by a material data owner. The data service may include computer executable instructions operating at least partially in a non-centralized computing environment. Such computer executable instructions may be based on a Json Web Token (JWT) that includes authentication information, authorization information, and / or a digital representation pointing to the material composition data or a portion thereof. The digital representation may include an endpoint for data exchange or sharing (resource endpoint) or an endpoint for service interaction (service endpoint) that is uniquely identified via a communication protocol. The digital representation pointing to the material composition data or a portion thereof may be uniquely associated with the product identifier.

[0071] The material data may include material composition data associated with at least one component of the product 10. The material composition data may represent the material composition of one or more components of the product 10. The material composition may include the material type, material properties, and / or chemical composition of at least one component of the product 10. The material type may include, but is not limited to, plastics, metal-containing materials, polymer-containing materials, composite materials such as those used in the product 10 or intermediate products, raw materials or by-products in manufacturing the product 10. The material properties may include, but are not limited to, physical material properties, such as thermodynamic, mechanical, electrodynamic, optical, and acoustic material properties, and / or chemical material properties, such as standard electrode potential and electronegativity. The chemical composition may relate to one or more ingredients and their amounts. The term components of the product 10 may include all components included in the product 10, such as the cathode element 26 or the anode element 24. For example, material composition data may provide the cell chemistry such as the cathode active materials Al, Li, Co, Ni in percentages, the anode active materials such as graphite, the composition electrolyte such as a conductive salt or solvent, the separator, or other materials included in the battery cell.

[0072] The material configuration data may be associated with one of the components, such as the electrode element 26 or the cathode active material in the battery embodiment. In one such embodiment, the material configuration may specify the chemical composition of the cathode active material. Examples are material configurations based on lithium nickel manganese (NCM type) such as lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (LiNiCoMnO2), lithium iron phosphate (LPF type) such as lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 / C), lithium nickel manganese (LMNO type) such as lithium nickel manganese spinel (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA type) such as lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (LiNiCoAlO2), lithium manganese (LMO type) such as lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), lithium cobalt (LCO type) such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), or combinations thereof. The material configuration data may be associated with the anode element 24 or the anode active material. In one such embodiment, the material composition may represent the chemical composition of the anode active material. Examples are natural graphite, synthetic graphite, other graphite types, or combinations thereof. The material composition data may be associated with the electrolyte 22, separator 28, cell 18 or module packaging, housing 20, etc. For example, the material composition data may provide the cell chemistry, such as the cathode active material Al, Li, Co, Ni, anode active material, such as graphite, in percentages, composition electrolyte, such as conductive salts or solvents, separator, or other materials included in the battery cell.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 6, the product identifiers may be associated with different product components and corresponding material configurations. In the example of FIG. 6, the cathode element, the anode element, the separator element, and the housing are exemplary components. The cathode element may relate to the material configuration of the electrode active material, LMO in the case of ID1 and NCM in the case of ID2. The anode element may relate to the material configuration of the anode active material, natural graphite in the case of ID1 and artificial graphite and silicon in the case of ID2. Similarly, the material configuration for the separator may be specified by the type of membrane, and the material configuration for the housing is specified by the type of plastic. In other embodiments, components such as the cathode element, the anode element, the separator element, and / or the housing may each be associated with a component identifier. Through the product identifier and / or the component identifier, the respective material configuration data may be retrieved. The identifiers may include non-central identifiers.

[0074] Based on the material composition data associated with the product identifier, at least one material composition that can be processed by at least one recycling plant may be identified to provide a material identifier package. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 for the battery ID of FIG. 6, two packages may be collected: package ID1 for the cathode element of the battery with ID1 having LCO as cathode active material, and package ID2 for the cathode element of the battery with ID2 and IDn having NCM as cathode active material. Based on the material composition data, the products 10 or product components 30 may be identified by material compositions that may be recycled by the same recycling plant or together. In this way, the products or product components to be recycled may be virtually collected or sorted by the product identifier associated with such material composition. For such identification, different embodiments are possible. Only some examples are described here as exemplary embodiments, which are not to be considered as limiting.

[0075] In one embodiment, matching logic may be used to identify material identifier packages for material compositions that can be processed by at least one recycling plant. Such matching may be based on the material composition of one or more components. Multiple algorithms may be employed for matching, ranging from search algorithms to data-driven classification models.

[0076] For example, matching may be performed by the chemical composition of the components. For matching, classification instructions may be provided. Such classification instructions may be predefined or dynamically adjustable. For example, material configurations A, B, C may be predefined by at least a part of the chemical composition of one component, such as specifying the electrolyte composition, the anode active material composition, the cathode active material composition. The matching scheme may in principle look like this: One-component based matching for battery implementation Classification by composition A: Cathode active materials x, y, z B: Cathode active materials a, b, c C: Cathode active materials d, e, f Component Material Composition Battery ID1, Cathode active material x Battery ID2, cathode active material y Battery component material composition matching Battery ID1, cathode active material x → Class A Battery ID2, cathode active material y → Class A For multiple components, material configurations A, B, C may be predefined by at least partially specifying the composition of the multiple components. For example, for a battery embodiment, compositions such as the housing composition, electrolyte composition, anode composition, and cathode composition, or the composition of any other components, may be predefined. The matching scheme may in principle look like this: More component-based matching for battery implementations Classification by composition A: electrolyte x, y, z; anode l, m, k; cathode e, d, f B: electrolyte g, h, i; anode j, n, o; cathode p, q, r Component Material Composition Battery ID1, electrolyte x, anode l, cathode f Battery ID2, electrolyte y, anode l, cathode e Battery material composition matching Battery ID1, electrolyte x, anode l, cathode f → Class A Battery ID2, electrolyte y, anode l, cathode e → Class A In another embodiment, matching may be performed by chemical composition of the classes. Such matching may be based on the material composition of one or more components. For example, the search may be performed by chemical composition. For the search, a classification instruction may be provided. Such a classification instruction may be predefined or dynamically adjustable. For example, material configurations A, B, C may be predefined at least in part by the chemical composition of one component, such as for a battery embodiment specifying the electrolyte composition, the anode composition, the cathode composition. For example, material configurations A, B, C may be predefined at least in part by the component composition, specifying the housing composition, the electrolyte composition, the anode composition and the cathode composition, as well as the composition of any other components. The search scheme may in principle look as follows: Classification by component composition for battery implementation A: electrolyte x, y, z; anode l, m, k; cathode e, d, f B:… C:… Component Material Composition Battery ID1, electrolyte x, anode l, cathode f Battery ID2, electrolyte y, anode l, cathode e Search Battery Material Compositions by Class Class A: Battery ID 1, electrolyte x, anode l, cathode f Class B: Battery ID 2, electrolyte y, anode l, cathode e Once a match or search has been made, products or components that can be processed by the recycling plant may be identified through their identifiers associated with the respective material configurations. Such packages of product or component identifiers may be assigned to recycling plants by providing recycling plant data associated with recycling plants that can process such material packages.

[0077] In another embodiment, advanced logic may be used. Such advanced logic may be based on material composition data and recycle plant data of one or more components. For example, the recycle plant data may include a recycle plant identifier and a specification of one or more material compositions that can be processed by a recycle plant that performs at least one recycling process on the one or more material compositions. In this way, classification based on material composition data may be directly related to a specific recycle plant. Respective classification instructions may be provided that include material composition data and recycle plant data of one or more components.

[0078] Based on the identification of the material identifier package, a material identifier package and associated product identifier may be provided. The material identifier package may thus include a collection of product identifiers associated with one or more material configurations that can be processed together in a recycling plant. A package identifier may be generated by uniquely associating such package. A product identifier associated with at least one material configuration that can be processed together may be linked to the package identifier. The package identifier may thus be associated with a product or product component that can be processed together by at least one recycling plant or process. A material identifier package including a package identifier and / or a package of product identifiers may be provided. In addition, the material identifier package may include a material configuration for the package identifier or the package of battery identifiers. The material identifier package may include a plant identifier for each package of package identifiers or the package of battery identifiers that indicates the recycling plant where the product or product component will be processed.

[0079] Optionally, the material identifier package may be used to generate and provide sorting and / or collection instructions, as described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 5 and 14. Such instructions may be generated based on the package of product identifiers or package identifiers and / or product or component location data associated with the product or component identifiers. In one embodiment, the collection instructions may be displayed on a user interface where the pickup is scheduled. The sorting instructions may include machine readable instructions that may be provided to a sorter. The sorter may read the product identifiers and sort the products or components according to the material identifier package. The sorter may, in other embodiments, be provided with sorting instructions as described above. The sorter may read the product identifiers and sort the products or components based on the sorting instructions and generate a virtual material identifier package.

[0080] Further optionally, the material identifier package may be used to generate and provide transportation and / or storage instructions, as described in more detail in connection with Figures 5 and 14. Such instructions may be generated based on the package of product or component identifiers or package identifiers, location data relating to the product or component identifiers, and / or operational data relating to the plant identifier. The location data may be associated with the physical location of the product or product component being recycled. The operational data may include data indicative of the location of the plant, the capacity of the plant, and / or process details of the plant.

[0081] 5 shows another exemplary embodiment of a flow diagram for providing a material identifier package usable for recycling materials contained in a product, and in particular for operating a recycling process based on the material identifier package, or for sorting products to be recycled, such as batteries, based on material composition data associated with a product identifier, the method may be implemented in a network such as that illustrated in FIG.

[0082] One or more product identifiers, such as a battery identifier, and associated material composition data may be provided, for example as described in relation to Figures 1, 2, 3d and 4. The material composition data may be associated with a material composition, such as a material type, material properties or chemical composition, associated with one or more product components from which the product is made, such as a battery. A passive or active product identification element 12, 14, 32, 34 may be associated with a physical product, such as a battery. The identification element may be configured to provide a product identifier, in particular a battery identifier, and associated material data for a physical product, in particular a battery, with which it is associated or related, as described in relation to Figures 1-4. Additionally or alternatively, the product identifier, in particular a battery identifier, may be provided via a product element and the material composition data may be provided through a measurement.

[0083] Material classification instructions may be provided that classify the identifiers of one or more components of the product, in particular batteries, with respect to material type / characteristics or chemical composition. For example, for batteries, this may include a classification by material composition for one or more components of the battery to be recycled. In one option, the classification of material composition classes A, B, C may relate to multiple components such as:

[0084] A: electrolyte x, y, z; anode (passive and active materials) l, m, k; cathode (passive and active materials) e, d, f; housing g, h, l; battery management system m, n, o; separator p, q, r B: electrolyte x2, y2, z2; anode (passive and active materials) l2, m2, k2; cathode (passive and active materials) e2, d2, f2; casing g2, h2, l2; battery management system m2, n2, o2; separator p2, q2, r2 C: electrolyte x3, y3, z3; anode (passive and active materials) l3, m3, k3; cathode (passive and active materials) e3, d3, f3; casing g3, h3, l3; battery management system m3, n3, o3; separator p3, q3, r3 In another option, classification of material composition classes A, B, C may relate to selected components that are subject to recycling. A: Cathode (passive and active materials) abc B: Cathode (passive and active materials) def C: Cathode (passive and active materials) ghj The products or components may be classified by material composition data with classification instructions. A material identifier package including the number of products or components per class may be identified and provided. The products or components may be classified based on their identifiers, associated material composition data, and the provided material classification instructions. Based on the classified product identifiers, the amount of material may be identified, e.g., by component, e.g., by number of products or components, and / or by the amount of material to be recycled.

[0085] The plant identifier may be provided in conjunction with operational data such as capacity data, process data, and / or location data. The operational data may be associated with the plant identifier and may include capacity data, process data, and / or material data or material classification instructions. The classified quantities, numbers, and / or compositions of products or components based on classified components or product identifiers may be matched with the plant identifiers based on the capacity, process details, and / or location of the recycling plant. One plant identifier may be selected and provided based on the classified numbers, quantities, and / or compositions of packages with the respective product or component identifiers or package identifiers. One or more material classification product or component identifiers may be assigned to the recycling plant. The assignment may be based on pant capacity, process details, material composition, and / or material classification. The operational data may be static data regarding the general specifications of the plant or may be dynamic regarding the current specifications of the plant. The latter allows real-time perspective on capacity, process data, and / or material data. The plants may be matched based on real-time information enabling more efficient and targeted use of plant resources in the recycling process. The material packages may be physically retrieved by sorting, retrieving, storing, and / or transporting instructions based on the package of product or component identifiers, or package identifiers and possibly plant identifiers, for example as described in connection with Figures 4 and 5.

[0086] Collection, sorting, storage, and / or transport instructions may be generated and provided for a collector system, a sorting system, a storage system, and / or a transport system. The sorting instructions may be identified based on the package of product or component identifiers or the material identifier package having a package identifier. The sorting instructions may relate product or component identifiers provided by a sensor reading the product or component identifier elements to material configurations that are processable together, such as processable by at least one recycling plant. Such a relationship may include using sorting instructions to provide material configurations that are processable together, such as processable by at least one plant. Such a relationship may include using sorting instructions to relate material configurations that are processable together to at least one plant identifier. The sorting instructions may relate product or component identifiers provided by a sensor reading the product or component identifier elements to product or component identifiers provided on the material identifier package. The sorting instructions may be provided to a sorting system for sorting the products or components to be recycled. The sorting system may be controlled and / or monitored based on such instructions. In some embodiments, the sorting instructions may be provided to a sorting system configured to read product or component identifiers from the products or components and sort such identifiers to sort the products or components. Such sorting allows for simple and efficient sorting, as the logic for sorting may be implemented at least in part in a non-centralized computing environment, and the sorting system may be based on reading elements combined with sorting hardware, such as a robot.

[0087] As illustrated in FIG. 14 , the product or component identifiers may be provided to a sorting system. The sorting system may be configured to monitor and / or control sorting of products or components associated with one or more classes based on sorting and / or classification instructions. The sorting system may be configured to monitor and / or control sorting of products or components by material composition based on sorting and / or classification instructions. In this manner, sorting of products or components may be performed by reading identifiers associated with the products or components, simplifying sorting of such products or components by material composition.

[0088] Alternatively or additionally, collection instructions may be specified based on the material identifier package. The collection instructions may relate product or component identifiers provided by a sensor reading the product or component identifier element to material configurations that can be processed together, such as by at least one recycling plant. Such a relationship may include using a sorting instruction to provide material configurations that can be processed together, such as by at least one plant. Such a relationship may include using a sorting instruction to relate material configurations that can be processed together to at least one plant identifier. Further collection point data may be provided that represents collection points for at least components of the product. The collection point data may be included in the material identifier package. In this way, products or components may be sorted by targeted collection and at the same time sorting may be realized in collection simplifying the recycling process.

[0089] As shown in Figure 14, product or component identifiers associated with one classification may be provided to a collector system. The collector system may be configured to monitor and / or control the collection of products or components associated with one or more classes based on collection and / or sorting instructions. The collector system may be configured to monitor and / or control the collected products or components by material composition based on collection and / or sorting instructions. In this way, sorting of products or components may be performed directly at the time of collection, making a further sorting process unnecessary.

[0090] The collector system may be configured to collect products or components and provide product or component identifiers for classification by material class. The classified product or component identifiers may be provided to the sorting system. Such provision may be direct from the collector system to the sorting system or indirect via the computing environment to the sorting system. The collector system may be configured to collect products or components and to classify the product or component identifiers by material composition, store the associated identifiers, and provide product or component identifiers per material class, for example to the sorting system. The product or component identifiers associated with a classification may be provided to the sorting system. The sorting system may be configured to sort the collected products or components associated with one or more classes. The sorting system may be configured to provide identifiers for classification by material composition and to sort the products or components based on the material composition. The product or component IDs associated with a material classification may be provided by the collector system or the computing environment.

[0091] Additionally or alternatively, a transport instruction may be generated. Collection point data may be provided indicating a collection point for the product or at least a component of the product. The collection point data may be included in the material identifier package. A transport instruction may be identified based on the collection point data and the plant location data or storage location data. Based on such data, one or more transport routes may be identified. The collection point data may represent a starting point for the transport and the plant location data may represent a destination point for the transport route. Such transport routes may be provided to a transport system, such as an autonomous vehicle, or to a user interface, such as a display.

[0092] Additionally or alternatively, storing instructions may be identified based on the capability data and the number of products or components having material configurations that can be processed together. A quantity of material or number of products or components per class or subclass may be identified based on the material classification. The quantity of material may be provided to a storage system for managing the storage of the products or components and / or to a transportation system for transporting the products or components, or to a computing environment. The storage instructions may be provided to a storage management system or as transport instructions to a transportation system.

[0093] A recycling run for a recycled material may be scheduled by providing the package identifier along with the plant identifier to the plant operations system. Sorting, recovery, storage, and / or transportation instructions may be provided to the recycling plant operations system. A recycling run may be scheduled for each package or class of product or component by providing the package of product or component identifiers or the package identifier to the recycling plant operations system. The assigned identifier may be provided to the recycling plant operations system indicated by the recycling plant identifier along with the material identifier package for scheduling the recycling run.

[0094] Fig. 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of a flow diagram for providing plant allocation data usable for processing recycled materials, in particular for operating a recycling process. The method may be implemented in a network such as that illustrated in Fig. 3d.

[0095] For recycling of materials contained in a product, recycled material data may be generated and provided, as shown in the examples of Figs. 4 and 5, in particular for material identifier packages usable to operate a recycling process. Such identifier data may be used to operate a recycling process to mechanically and / or chemically recycle the product or at least one component of the product. The recycled material data may include product or component identifiers associated with at least one material configuration processable by at least one recycling plant. Such identifiers may be associated with packages or package identifiers that collect the product or component identifiers. For the battery example, the electrode elements may be separated from the battery by dismantling and disassembly and further processed according to the packages that collect the battery or electrode element identifiers. In this way, recycled materials such as black mass may be virtually tracked during the recycling process, and such tracking may be used to operate the plants that process the respective materials.

[0096] A recycled material identifier and corresponding recycled material data associated with the recycled material may be provided. The recycled material identifier may relate to one or more product or component identifiers and corresponding material composition data of the product being recycled to provide the recycled material. The recycled material data may be provided by computer executable instructions executed at least partially in a non-centralized or non-centralized computing environment, the computer executable instructions accessing the recycled material data of the recycled material based on the recycled material identifier. The material composition data may be provided by a computing node of the non-centralized computing environment associated with a producer that produces or uses the material, such as a material producer. The material composition data may be provided as part of the recycled material data. The material composition data may be provided by a product identifier included in the recycled material data and by accessing the material composition data via the product identifier. The recycled material data may include a material composition of the recycled material as identified based on or at the time of the generation of the material identifier package. For access to the recycled material data, the recycled material data provider may include one or more recycling systems that generate the material identifier package. The recycled material data may be provided by a computing node of a non-central computing environment associated with one or more recycling systems, preferably configured to generate a material identifier package and / or identify a material composition of the recycled material based on the material identifier package. The recycled material identifier may relate to a material package identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with the recycled material. The recycled material may comprise, for example, a battery cell or black mass material provided by recycling an electrode element of a battery.

[0097] Operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of the plant may be provided. The operational data may be provided by computer executable instructions executed at least in part in the non-central computing environment, the computer executable instructions accessing the operational data of the plant based on the plant identifier. The operational data may be provided by a non-central computing node associated with one or more plants, such as a recycling plant, and / or one or more recycling systems, such as a collector, sorter, transport, storage system, etc. The operational data may be provided for access or accessed by one or more recycling systems and / or a non-central computing node associated with classification instructions relating one or more plants to recycled material data and / or recycled material identifiers. The operational data may be accessed upon request by one or more recycling systems and / or a non-central computing node associated with classification instructions relating one or more plants to recycled material data and / or recycled material identifiers. The operational data may include classification instructions relating one or more plants to recycled material data and / or recycled material identifiers. The operational data may be provided to identify a plant identifier identifying a plant suitable for processing recycled material associated with recycled material data and / or recycled product identifier data, such as recycled material identifiers. The operational data may include a plant identifier, plant capacity related to the capacity of the plant, process data related to process characteristics of the plant, and / or material classification data related to materials that can be processed by the plant. The operational data may be provided or accessed in a non-central computing environment. The operational data may relate to static production characteristics of the plant and / or dynamic production characteristics of the plant. The operational plant data may be static data related to the general specifications of the plant or may be dynamic related to the current specifications of the plant. The latter allows real-time insight into capacity, process data, and / or material data.Plants can be aligned based on real-time information that allows for more efficient and targeted use of plant resources in recycling or production processes.

[0098] The assignment of plant identifier data, such as a plant identifier, to recycled material data and / or recycled product or component identifier data, such as a recycled material identifier, may be based on plant capability data, process data, and / or material data. The plant may be any recycling plant, including, for example, mechanical, thermal, chemical, or a combination thereof. For a battery example, the plant may be a metallurgical plant for recovering transition metals from battery materials. The metallurgical plant may be a hydrometallurgical plant and / or a pyrometallurgical plant. The recycled material may be assigned to a one-stage, two-stage, or multi-stage process including at least one hydrometallurgical plant and / or a pyrometallurgical plant. The recycled material may contain electrode active material. The recycled material may be black mass.

[0099] Plant identifier data, such as a plant identifier, may be identified by sorting according to a sorting instruction that provides material data that can be processed by the plant. The sorting instruction may be provided or executed by at least one node of the non-central computing system. The sorting instruction may be executed at least partially in the non-central computing environment, and the sorting instruction collects recycled material identifiers that relate one or more plants to recycled material data, such as recycled material composition, and respective plant identifiers. The sorting instruction, which accesses the recycled material data based on a recycled material or product identifier, may initiate sorting and thereafter initiate forwarding of the sorting results. The sorting instruction may be triggered by one or more recycling systems at any stage of the recycling process following the generation of the material identifier package. The sorting instruction may access the recycled material data via a recycled material identifier, as provided by one or more recycling systems, and / or a product identifier, as provided by a material producer. The sorting instruction may forward the sorting results to one or more recycling systems, such as a sorting, recovery, transport, or storage system, and / or one or more plants, such as a recycling and / or production plant.

[0100] Such classification instructions may include material compositions that can be processed by the plant. For a battery example, if the battery material composition represents Li as a component, the assigned plant may be a hydrometallurgical plant. Further, for example, if Li is not included as a constituent element, a pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical plant may be assigned. Additionally or alternatively, the identification of the plant identifier data may include capacity or process details. For a battery example, if the electrolyte fluid is part of the recycled material, plant operating details such as electrolyte separation may need to be adapted or a plant with appropriate process details may need to be assigned. Further, for example, if the plant capacity is already filled, another plant may be assigned. For example, a quantity or amount of recycled material may be identified via recycled material identifier and material composition data. The material composition may include relative quantities or amounts of components and / or absolute amounts of materials. The identifying plant identifier data production data may relate to the production process of the plant. The plant identifier may be identified based on operations related to the material classification. A plant identifier may be provided. A plant assignment data comprising the plant identifier and the associated recycled material identifier may be provided. In this way, incoming recycled materials can be identified and processed by the plant.

[0101] At least one plant identifier associated with a plant for processing a recycled material associated with the at least one recycled product identifier may be identified. Identifying the at least one plant identifier may include selecting a plant identifier associated with a plant for processing a recycled material associated with the recycled product or component identifier data based on the operational data. Identifying the at least one plant identifier may include sorting by sorting instructions providing material data associated with one or more material configurations processable by the at least one plant. Identifying the at least one plant identifier may include matching the at least one recycled material identifier with the at least one plant identifier based on the amount of recycled material and the capacity of the plant. Identifying the at least one plant identifier may include matching the at least one recycled material identifier with the at least one plant identifier based on process data associated with one or more recycling processes and / or material data associated with at least one material configuration processable by the at least one plant.

[0102] Plant allocation data may be provided that comprises at least one recycled material identifier for at least one plant identifier. From the plant allocation data, transportation and / or storage instructions may be identified and provided. Operational instructions may be provided and transmitted to at least one manufacturing execution system of the plant.

[0103] Transport and / or storage instructions based on location data associated with the recycled material identifier and the recycled material associated with the plant identifier may be generated and provided, for example, as disclosed in connection with Figures 5 and 14. Operational instructions for at least one manufacturing execution system of the plant may be provided. The plant may be controlled and / or monitored according to the operational instructions, which may include one or more execution tasks.

[0104] Fig. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of a flow diagram for allocating plants to operate a recycling process. The method may be implemented in a network as illustrated in Fig. 3d.

[0105] A product or component identifier and corresponding material composition may be provided. A classification instruction may be provided to classify the product or component by chemical composition. For example, for a battery, a cathode active material may be accessed or provided. A product or component identifier may be matched according to the chemical composition of one or more products, e.g., in the case of a battery, from the cathode active material of the battery. A package identifier associated with the chemical composition of a package, such as a black mass package in a battery embodiment, may be generated, for example, as disclosed in connection with FIGS. 1-7 and 14, 15.

[0106] To match an appropriate recycling plant for running the recycling process, operational data and plant identifiers may be accessed or provided. The operational data may include a plant identifier associated with process and capacity data. Based on the operational data, a package identifier may be matched with a plant identifier. For example, from the package identifier, a number of products or components, or a quantity or amount of material to be recycled may be identified. Material packages may be assigned to plants based on the quantity or amount or number and plant capacity. Each plant identifier may be provided along with a package identifier associated with the product or component or package of material.

[0107] The packages may be collected with storage or transport instructions based on the package identifier and the plant identifier. Additionally or alternatively, a plant recycling operation for each package of products or components or materials may be scheduled by providing the package identifier to the recycling plant operations system.

[0108] Fig. 10 shows an exemplary embodiment of a flow diagram for allocating plants to operate a recycling process. The method may be implemented in a network as illustrated in Fig. 3d.

[0109] A product or component identifier and associated material composition data, as well as a plant identifier and associated operational data may be provided. The operational data may include capacity, material handling, and process data for the plant indicated by the plant identifier.

[0110] The capacity data may be matched to the quantity or amount of recycled material or the number of products or components associated with the product or component identifier. Additional matching criteria may be plant process data and / or material processing data related to the material make-up data associated with the product or component identifier or the recycled material data associated with the recycled material identifier.

[0111] If a suitable plant is not identified, a storage order may be generated and an associated product or component identifier or recycled material identifier may be stored in the database for the unassigned recycled material package.

[0112] If a plant with recycling capabilities is identified, the product or component identifier or recycled material identifier may be matched with the material processing data or process data.

[0113] If a suitable plant is identified, the product or component identifier or recycled material identifier may be assigned to a plant identifier, which may then receive the identifier and schedule a recycling process.

[0114] If a suitable plant is not identified, a storage order may be generated and a respective identifier may be stored in the database for the unassigned package.

[0115] 11-13 visualize exemplary data structures that may be implemented in at least a partially decentralized or centralized environment based on a decentralized identifier. Such data structures may be implemented in a decentralized or centralized storage environment, for example based on a relational database, a graph database, etc. The example shows batteries as end products to be recycled. This is an arbitrary choice and should not be considered limiting.

[0116] Battery identifiers may be associated with different components of the battery. Such battery identifiers may be matched and assigned to package identifiers as described in relation to Fig. 7. Through such virtual sorting based on the associated material composition, packages may be collected and / or sorted to match respective recycling processes. The method may be implemented in a network as described in Fig. 3d.

[0117] The package may be assigned to a recycling plant for recycling the packaged material composition of the battery material. The package identifier may be virtually assigned to a recycling plant identifier in the first and / or second stages of the recycling process, for example as described in connection with Figures 15 and 16.

[0118] The produced recycled material packages may be assigned via the associated package identifier to a further recycling plant that produces the recyclates. The recyclates may be assigned via the associated package identifier to a plant identifier associated with a plant that uses the recyclates to produce new batteries.

[0119] Fig. 14 shows an exemplary system for operating a recycling process in a recycling chain. The example shows batteries as the final product to be recycled. This is an optional choice and should not be considered limiting. The system may include or be part of a method that may be implemented in a network such as that described in Fig. 3d.

[0120] At the start of the recycling chain is an end-of-life product 1400. In this case, the end-of-life product 1400 is a lithium ion battery. The lithium ion battery may include an identifier element as described in connection with Figures 1 and 2. Such a battery or component identifier may be used in a decentralized computing environment or network, for example, as outlined in connection with Figures 3a-3d.

[0121] An identifier for the serviced battery 1400 may be provided by reading an identifier element with a reader 1404, for example as described in connection with Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5. Upon reading the identifier for the serviced battery, material composition data collected during the life of the battery and other data, such as condition data, may be accessed via the identifier. The material composition data may be accessed via a decentralized computing network. For example, the material composition data may be provided by a decentralized computing node associated with a producer or user of the material.

[0122] Based on the material composition data associated with the serviced battery 1400, the battery identifiers may be sorted into packages of identifiers that may be processed together in a subsequent recycling chain. For example, the ID package generator 1406 may be configured to perform the methods described in connection with Figs. 4 and 5 to provide battery recycling data. Such data may be used to provide sorting and / or collection of the batteries by sorting and / or collection instructions, for example as described in connection with Figs. 4 and 5. For example, the collector and / or sorter system 1402 may be configured to receive such instructions and sort and / or collect the batteries based on such instructions. In other embodiments, the reader 14040 and the ID package generator 1406 may be part of the collector and / or sorter system 1402. The batteries may be directly sorted upon reading based on the classification provided by the ID package generator 1406.

[0123] Based on the status data associated with the service-terminated battery, the battery may be discharged and / or disassembled by discharge and / or disassembly instructions. Such instructions may include analysis of status data collected during life, a service-terminated measurement protocol for collecting status data from the service-terminated battery, analysis of status data collected by the service-terminated measurement protocol, or any combination thereof. The analysis of status data collected during life may include data related to self-discharge, charge / discharge process, or status variables (e.g., cell temperature). In this manner, further processing instructions regarding the use of the battery 1400 may be identified without the need for measurements. The service-terminated measurement protocol may include measurements of capacity, power, physical or chemical properties, or resistance. Analysis of such measurement data may lead to further processing instructions regarding the use of the battery. Alternatively or additionally, such instructions may include discharge and / or disassembly instructions for a robotic system. For example, the discharger and / or disassembler system 1404 may be configured to receive such instructions and disassemble and / or discharge the battery 1400 based on such instructions.

[0124] Components of the serviced battery, such as cells, cathode elements, anode elements, electrolytes, separators, or housings, may be associated with product identifiers and / or separate component identifiers. Based on the identifier package as provided by the battery recycling data, transport and / or storage instructions may be generated for the battery or, if disassembled, for the battery components, for example, as described in connection with Figs. 4 and 5. For example, the transport and / or storage system 1406 may be configured to receive such instructions and transport and / or store the battery or components based on such instructions. The collector and / or sorter system 1402, the discharge and / or disassembly system 1404, and the transport and / or storage system 1406 may be a recycling system connected via a non-central computing network. The system may be associated with computing nodes of the non-central computing system. Each node may be configured to access or provide data in the non-central computing system.

[0125] Based on the battery recycling data associated with the battery identifier and the operational data associated with the plant identifier, the battery or battery components may be assigned to a plant identifier by providing plant assignment data as described in connection with FIGS. 6-8. The plant associated with the plant identifier may be a mechanical or chemical recycling plant. The plant assignment data may include more than one plant identifier if the recycling chain includes more than one recycling plant. For example, as shown in FIG. 15 for the cathode element, the recycling chain may include mechanical processing followed by pyrometallurgical processing followed by hydrometallurgical processing of the battery material provided to the production process as recycled battery material. In another option, the recycling chain may include mechanical processing followed by hydrometallurgical processing of the battery material provided to the production process as recycled battery material. The recycling process separately or already provides the transition metals in the desired stoichiometry for creating new materials. For example, the plant assigner 1408 may be configured to provide plant assignment data and provide such plant assignment data to the chemical / mechanical plant recycling system 1410 of the respective plant associated with the plant identifier. Based on the plant assignment data and the location data, transport and / or storage instructions may be generated by the transport and / or storage system 1406 as described herein, e.g., in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. For example, the plant allocator 1406 may be configured to provide the plant assignment data and provide such plant assignment data to the production system 1416 of the respective production plant associated with the plant identifier. The plant allocator, the transport and / or storage system 1406, and the chemical / mechanical plant recycle system may be part of a non-central computing environment. Each system may be associated with a computing node of the non-central computing system to access and / or provide data in the non-central computing network.

[0126] Based on the tracked recycled material packages and recycle rate data, production data may be provided by the recycle rate allocation generator 1418. Any calculations may be performed via the computing environment. The computing environment may be based on a non-central computing architecture as described in connection with Figs. 3a-d. The collector system 1402 may include a collection mechanism for collecting the batteries or components of the battery 1400 to be recycled. The sorting system 1402 may include a mechanism for sorting the batteries or components of the battery 1400 to be recycled. The plant recycling system 1410 may include a recycling plant for recycling the batteries or components of the battery to be recycled. The output of the plant recycling system 1410 may be recycled material suitable for use in a production plant. The recycling plant may include chemical, mechanical, thermal, and / or magnetic recycling plants. The production system 1416 may include a production plant for producing batteries or components of batteries based at least in part on the recycled material as provided by the recycling plant. The input material of the production plant may include virgin material and recycled material. The collector system 1404, the discharger system 1404, the transport and / or storage system 1406, the computing environment, the sorting system 1402, the production system 1416, and / or the plant recycling system 1410 may be communicatively coupled to one another. The communication may be peer-to-peer communication provided by a non-central computing environment, as described in connection with FIG. 3d. The ID package generator 1406, the plant allocator 1408, and the recycle content generator 1418 may be non-central service applications or may be part of one or more computing nodes associated with the recycling system and / or the plant.

[0127] The computing environment, collector system, or sorting system 1402 may be configured to generate collection and / or sorting instructions based on the material identifier package, for example as described in connection with Figures 4 and 5. The computing environment, collector system, sorting system 1402, production plant system 1416, or recycling plant system may be configured to generate transportation and / or storage instructions based on the material identifier package, for example as described in connection with Figures 4 and 5.

[0128] The collector system and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to provide a battery identifier to the computing environment. The battery identifier may be provided via an identification element as described in Figs. 1 and 2. For example, the collector system and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to read a QR code on the battery or a component of the battery. The collector system and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to provide location data to the computing environment. The location data may be provided by a user terminal, such as a sensor that reads the identification element, or by an identifier of the system that registers with the service. For example, a user accessing the service may provide the location data.

[0129] The computing environment, collector system, and / or sorting system 1402 having a non-central computing node may be configured to access material data based on the provided battery identifier. The computing environment may include an ID generator configured to identify a material identifier package including a package of battery identifiers as described in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5. The computing environment, collector system, and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to provide the material identifier package for operating a recycling process. The computing environment, collector system, and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to provide collection instructions and / or sorting instructions.

[0130] For example, the computing environment or a node of the computing environment may be configured to identify collection point data representing a collection location for the battery or battery component to be recycled based on the location of the battery associated with the material identifier package. The collection instructions may include the collection location. The collection instructions may be provided to a collector system. The collection instructions may include a collection location for each package identifier or package of battery identifiers included in the material identifier package. In this way, the batteries or battery components may be collected such that they can be processed together and no further sorting is required. The collector system 1402 may be configured to collect the batteries or battery components to be recycled, preferably by material composition. In this way, sorting of the batteries or battery components to be recycled may be performed directly at the time of collection, making a further sorting process unnecessary. The collector system 1402 may be configured to collect the batteries or battery components to be recycled and provide the battery IDs for generating the material identifier package according to the classification instructions, or provide the material identifier package to, for example, a sorting system, classify the battery IDs according to the classification instructions, and store the associated recycling data or provide the associated recycling data, for example per material composition, to the sorting system.

[0131] Further for example, the computing environment or a node of the computing environment may be configured to generate sorting instructions based on a set of package identifiers or battery identifiers. The sorting instructions may include a battery identifier for each package. The sorting instructions may be provided to the sorting system 1402. The sorting system may be configured to provide a product identifier for each battery or battery component to be recycled and sort such batteries or battery components based on the provided sorting instructions. In this manner, the batteries or battery components may be sorted by reading the identification elements such that they can be processed together.

[0132] The computing environment, the collector system 1402, the sorting system 1402, the production plant system 1416, or the recycling plant system 1410 may be configured to generate transport and / or storage instructions based on the material identifier package. Transport instructions may be identified based on the location data of the batteries or components to be recycled and based on a target location of the batteries or components to be recycled. The target location may relate to a recycling plant that processes the material configuration. Storage instructions may be identified based on the capacity of the recycling plant and / or based on the number of batteries or components per package identifier or per package of battery identifiers. If the plant capacity is higher than the number of batteries or components per package to be collected for the material configuration, storage instructions may be generated. Such storage instructions may include a storage location for storing the batteries or their components until the number reaches the plant capacity.

[0133] As described above, different variations exist for implementing the methods, apparatus, and systems described herein. Different systems may implement the method steps or service components differently. The described embodiments are examples only and should not be considered limiting.

[0134] Figure 15 shows an example of a recycling chain for cathode active material. The example shows a battery as the end product to be recycled. This is an optional choice and should not be considered limiting.

[0135] The battery comprises different parts of the material as described in FIG. 1. The recycling chain may comprise different steps and have different designs. First, a serviced battery may be discharged and then dismantled. The battery may be discharged and disassembled to separate the components such as the cells. The battery components may be fed into a subsequent recycling stream. For example, mechanical processing may follow. This may include mechanical crushing (shredding) of the battery cells and separation of the materials. Electrolyte residues may be removed from the active materials by drying or pyrolysis before the following process steps. Mechanical separation of the "black mass" (e.g. Co, Ni, Mn, C), conductive foils, and separator parts may be performed by a combination of grinding, drying, screening, and sorting processes. The materials may be separated by their physical properties such as particle size, morphology, density, and electrical and magnetic properties. For example, foils and active materials including transition metals may be separated. Such recycled material may be referred to as black mass.

[0136] The separated components may be fed into a subsequent recycling stream. For example, battery cells may be recycled to recover transition metals contained in the electrode elements. In particular, lithium-ion batteries comprise an electrode active material containing lithium. The recycling process may follow different process layouts depending on the material composition used in the lithium-ion battery cells. The recycled material from the mechanical recycling may be further processed by pyrometallurgy and / or hydrometallurgy. For example, depending on the composition of the recycled material, pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy or a combination of both may be used. One process design may be based on pyrometallurgical processing of the battery scrap material followed by hydrometallurgical processing. Another process design may be based on direct hydrometallurgical processing of the battery material. Such processes transition metals separately or already in the desired stoichiometry to create new cathode active material.

[0137] The material composition of the recycled material may be tracked based on the virtual packaging of the battery with the material composition via the battery identifier. Furthermore, the composition of the recycled material may be identified by classifying the battery identifier based on the associated material composition. In this way, the composition of the recycled material may be adapted for subsequent recycling process steps. Furthermore, such tracking of the recycled material may be performed up to the recycler, and tracking may be used, for example, to track the availability of the recycler or the recycler composition. A decentralized computing environment that provides access to specific material data via the identifier enables reliable and efficient operation throughout the recycling process from end-of-life products to the recycler that may be reused in the production of new materials.

[0138] FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method for providing a recycle feedstock content for producing at least one component of a product.

[0139] Recycling data may be provided that is associated with the use of recycled precursor materials in the production of at least one component of the product. The recycling data may indicate a recycled feed content for at least one component of the product. The recycled feed content may identify a total recycled feed content for the component or a recycled feed content per precursor. The recycling data may include a recycled amount or quota for one or more precursor products.

[0140] For battery examples, for electrode active materials of lithium-ion batteries, a certain recycled amount or quota may be provided for a certain precursor, such as metals like cobalt, lithium, copper, or nickel. Additionally or alternatively, a total recycled feedstock content for at least one component of the product may be provided. For battery examples, for lithium-ion batteries, a total recycled amount or percentage may be provided independent of the precursor. Such total amount or percentage may relate to individual components, combinations of components, or all components. For battery examples, for lithium-ion batteries, the total amount or percentage may relate to an electrode element including the electrode active material, an anode element including the anode active material, a cell having that component, or a battery having that component. The recycling data may specify, for example, that 20% copper is recycled copper, 10% lithium is recycled lithium, and 12% nickel is recycled nickel. The recycling data may specify, for example, that 15% or 20% transition metal is recycled transition metal. The recycling data may specify, for example, that 30% of the materials used to produce the component are recycled materials. Figure 20 shows one embodiment of a user interface for inputting the recycling quota. In other embodiments, such data may be provided through an application programming interface or any other service that provides such data.

[0141] Operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant may be accessed and provided. Such operational data may relate to the availability of one or more recycled precursors for producing at least one component of a product. For example, the availability may be derived from storage levels of different recycled precursors, from a recycle package identifier associated with an amount of recycled precursor available from a recycling process, or from a recycled material identifier including an identifier associated with an amount recycled and available from a recycling process. Such availability data may further be associated with the plant. For example, a particular material may be available to the production plant in the vicinity of the plant, such as within an area of ​​a few hundred kilometers or less. Other examples of operational data may include capacity data indicative of a current capacity of the production plant, process data indicative of process details of the production plant, performance data indicative of performance details of the production plant, or emissions data associated with the production plant.

[0142] Based on the recycling data and the operational data, a recycle feed content for one or more recycled precursors may be identified. The recycle feed content for one or more precursors may be identified according to a recycle amount for one or more precursor products, a recycle quota for one or more precursor products, and / or a total recycle feed content for at least one component of the product being manufactured. For example, if a recycle amount or quota is provided, the minimum recycle feed content may correspond to the recycle amount or quota.

[0143] Further operational data may be taken into account to identify the recycler feed content for one or more recycled precursors. The operational data may include availability data derived from the identifiers. The availability data may represent the amount of recycled material available from the recycling process. Such amount may be derived from the identifiers and material tracking as disclosed herein, such as in Figs. 1-15. Advantageously, the recycler package identifiers associated with the amount of recycled precursor available from the recycling process, or the recycled material identifiers including product or component identifiers associated with the amount recycled and available from the recycling process, can be easily accessed in a non-central computing environment, enabling a connection between the recycler feed content for production and the recycled material from the recycling process. In this way, a reliable and environmentally friendly management of material resources combined with physical recycling and production can be achieved, which is particularly advantageous in a distributed system of material flows, recycling plants, and production plants.

[0144] For example, if precursor availability data is provided, the recycle feed content for those precursors with high availability may be increased compared to the recycle amount or quota. In this way, the recycle feed content and production may be adjusted to match the recycle feed content. Further, for example, if a total amount or quota is provided, the recycle feed content may be distributed across the different precursors. If precursor availability data is provided, the recycle feed content for those precursors with high availability may be increased compared to the recycle feed content for precursors with lower availability. In this way, the recycle feed content and production may be adjusted to match the recycle feed content.

[0145] As an example in a battery embodiment, specifying the recycle feedstock content may relate to a process for making an electrode active material for a lithium-ion battery. In such a process, a precursor may first be formed by co-precipitating a transition metal as a carbonate, oxide, or preferably a hydroxide, which may or may not be basic. A process for making particulate (oxy)hydroxides of transition metals is described, for example, in WO2021244963A1, which is incorporated herein by reference. The particulate (oxy)hydroxides may serve as precursors for electrode active materials and may therefore be referred to as precursors. The formation of a transition metal-based precursor may include recycled transition metals as provided according to the specified recycle feedstock content for the transition metal precursor. The transition metal-based precursor may then be mixed with a precursor source of lithium, such as, but not limited to, LiOH, Li2O, or Li2CO3, and baked at high temperature or calcined. The process for making the electrode is described, for example, in WO 2020 / 069882 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, and in which the lithium salt can be used as a hydrate or in a dehydrated form. The calcination or firing, also commonly referred to as temperature treatment or heat treatment of the precursor, may be carried out at a temperature in the range of 600-1000° C. During the heat treatment, a solid-state reaction occurs to form the electrode active material. The lithium-containing precursor may include recycled lithium or a precursor formed from recycled lithium. The recycled lithium or a precursor formed from recycled lithium may be provided according to the recycle feedstock content for such precursor.

[0146] The identified recycle feed content of one or more recycled precursors for the manufacture of at least one component of the product may be provided to generate instructions for operating the production plant. For example, instructions for monitoring and / or controlling the product feed based on the composition of the components and the recycle feed content per precursor may be generated and provided to an operating system of the production plant. Apart from the feeding, further operating instructions may be generated and provided to monitor and / or control the operation of the production plant. Such further instructions may include different operating parameters depending on the feed composition or the recycle feed content. The operating plant may be operated based on the provided instructions for monitoring and / or controlling the operation of the production plant.

[0147] FIG. 17 illustrates another embodiment of a method for providing recycle feedstock content for producing at least one component of a product based on availability data, optionally including selection of a production plant.

[0148] The recycle rate feedstock content may be specified, for example, according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 16. The recycling quota per precursor for the product or component to be produced may be provided, for example, via a user interface as shown in FIG. 20. This may include, for the battery example, a recycling quota for the metal components contained in the electrode active material. Such recycling quota may be verified by accessing a regulatory database. It may be checked whether the recycling quota is regulated. If the recycling quota is regulated, it may be checked whether the provided recycling quota complies with the regulated recycling quota. If the recycling quota does not comply with the regulatory requirements, it may be adapted accordingly. For example, the recycling quota as regulated may be used.

[0149] In this embodiment, a precursor identifier and availability data may be provided to identify the recycle feedstock content. The precursor identifier may be associated with at least one precursor and an amount of available recycled precursor. The precursor identifier may be associated with an amount of available recycled precursor. The precursor identifier may be related to a recycled material identifier or may be derived from a product or component identifier and tracking in a recycling process, for example as described herein in connection with Figures 1-15. Identification of the recycle feedstock content may be performed by matching the provided recycling quota per precursor with availability data per precursor. Such matching may be performed per precursor, as described in connection with Figure 16, and may take into account adapted recycling quota per precursor based on regulatory checks, as described above.

[0150] Additionally, capacity data relating to production capacity for one or more production plants, process data relating to process details of one or more production plants, performance data relating to performance characteristics of one or more production plants, and / or emissions data relating to emissions for producing at least one component of the product may be provided. The emissions data may include precursor materials and emissions from at least one production plant for producing the component or product. The emissions data may include at least one emissions target for the use of precursors in the production of the at least one component or product. The emissions data may include a total emissions target for producing the at least one component or product. The emissions target may be provided via a user interface, for example as shown in FIG. 22. Here, total emissions, production emissions, and other emissions such as transportation emissions may be provided by the user. In other embodiments, such data may be provided through an application programming interface or any other service that provides such data.

[0151] A plant may be selected to process the recycler and produce at least one component using the recycler feedstock content based on the capacity data and / or the emission data. Selecting a production plant to produce the component may depend on the identified recycler feedstock content in combination with process data and / or capacity data that identifies whether the plant is suitable to process the recycler. Selecting a production plant to produce the component may also depend on the emission data and / or the performance data. A production plant that meets at least one emission target for using the precursor and / or a total emission target for producing the at least one component may be selected. The selection of the production plant may be based on a multi-dimensional metric that defines a distance and / or a threshold measurement. The distance and / or threshold measurement may be identified from the identified recycler feedstock content for the process data and / or capacity data, the recycler feedstock content for the at least one emission target for using the precursor, and / or the total emission target for producing the at least one component.

[0152] Further, based on the process data, for example, with the composition of the recyclate tracked via an identifier along the recycling chain, the process details of the plant may be matched with the process details required for the recyclate composition. For battery examples, in the case of electrode active materials, recyclates may be available with the desired stoichiometry required to produce the electrode active material, or transition metal recyclates may be available separately. In such cases, a recyclate with the desired stoichiometry may be selected in combination with a suitable plant that produces electrode active materials from such recyclates. For battery examples, the plant may be an electrode active material production plant or a cathode active material (CAM) plant for processing transition metal carbonates, oxides, or hydroxides as precursors. If only transition metal recyclates are available, another suitable plant that produces electrode active materials or cathode active materials from such recyclates may be selected. For battery examples, the plant may be a precursor electrode active material production plant or a precursor cathode active material (PCAM) plant for processing transition metals as precursors.

[0153] Operating instructions may be generated and provided to control and / or monitor the production system, such as the precursor feed of the at least one virgin precursor and / or the at least one recycled precursor. Further operating instructions may be identified for controlling and / or monitoring the operation of the selected plant, for example, based on the identified recycle feed content, the emission targets, the performance data, and the selected manufacturing plant. The operating instructions for controlling and / or monitoring the operation of the selected plant may be provided to the production system. The production plant may be operated based on such operating instructions.

[0154] Figure 18 shows another embodiment of a method for providing recycle feedstock content for producing at least one component of a product, including a chemical performance check. A corresponding user interface is shown for illustrative purposes in Figure 21, where chemical performance and associated parameters may be displayed.

[0155] The recycle feedstock content may be determined, for example, as described in connection with Figs. 16 and 17. For such determination, the recycle content for the component or per precursor may be provided. In addition, target performance parameters for the component may be provided. The recycle data may include the recycle content and the target performance parameters associated with the expected performance of the produced component. The target performance parameters may relate to at least one component, or at least one component related to other components. For a battery example, the performance of the electrode active material or the anode active material may be provided. For a lithium-ion battery, such performance parameters may relate to energy density, charge density, degradation behavior, capacity, etc. The target performance parameters may be provided via a user interface, for example as shown in Fig. 22. For a battery example, charge density, capacity, and degradation may be provided by the user. In other embodiments, such data may be provided through an application programming interface or any other service that provides such data.

[0156] Additionally, availability data per recycled precursor may be accessed and provided. The recycled feed content may be determined, for example, as described in connection with Figures 16 and 17. Determining the recycled feed content may include determining a chemical performance associated with a component produced by using the recycled feed content. From the determined recycled feed content of one or more precursors, a chemical composition of at least one component may be determined, taking into account the virgin and recycled feed content. For such composition, a chemical performance of at least one component produced may be determined. For battery examples, the energy density or capacity resulting from the chemical composition of the electrode or anode active material may be determined based on a first principles model, a data-driven model, or a combination of both.

[0157] Thus, based on the identified recycled feed content, chemical performance parameters associated with a component produced in response to the identified recycled feed content may be identified, and such identified chemical performance parameters may be compared to the provided target performance parameters to identify whether the component produced using the feed composition meets the required chemical performance.

[0158] If the chemical performance is met for the identified recycle feed content, operating instructions may be generated and provided to control and / or monitor the production system, such as the precursor feed of at least one virgin precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor. Further operating instructions for controlling and / or monitoring the operation of the selected plant may be identified, for example, based on the identified recycle feed content, the emission target, the performance data, and the selected manufacturing plant. Operating instructions for controlling and / or monitoring the operation of the selected plant may be provided to the production system. The production plant may be operated based on such operating instructions.

[0159] FIG. 19 illustrates another embodiment of a method for providing recycle feedstock content for producing at least one component of a product, including an emission target check and optional plant selection.

[0160] The recycle feedstock content may be identified and provided, for example, as described in connection with Figures 16, 17, and 18. Optionally, a plant for processing the recycle may be selected based on emissions targets and capacity data, for example, as described in connection with Figures 16 and 17. From such a selection, emissions for the precursor material and the selected production plant may be identified to check that emissions targets are met.

[0161] If the emission targets are not met, the recycle feed content may be re-specified based on the total emission target, or the recycle feed content may be specified based on at least one emission target for the use of the precursor. Optionally, a different plant may be selected.

[0162] If the emission target is met, operating instructions for controlling the precursor supply of the at least one virgin precursor and / or the at least one recycled precursor may be generated based on the identified recycle feed content and / or the selected production plant. For example, operating instructions for controlling and / or monitoring the precursor supply of the at least one virgin precursor and / or the at least one recycled precursor may be provided. Further operating instructions for controlling and / or monitoring the operation of the selected plant may be identified based on the identified recycle feed content and the selected production plant. The operating instructions for controlling and / or monitoring the operation of the selected plant may be provided to, for example, a production system. The production plant may be controlled and / or monitored according to the operating instructions.

[0163] The present disclosure has been described by way of example in conjunction with the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art and those practicing the claimed invention will understand and implement other variations upon studying the drawings, the disclosure, and the claims. In particular, any steps specifically presented may be performed in any order, i.e., the invention is not limited to a particular order of these steps. Furthermore, it is not required that different steps be performed at a particular location or at one node of a distributed system. In other words, each of the steps may be performed at different nodes using different equipment / data processing units.

[0164] As used herein, "identifying" also includes "initiating or causing to identify," "generating," "querying," "accessing," "correlating," and "matching," "selecting" also includes "initiating or causing to generate, access, query, correlate, select, and / or match," and "providing" also includes "initiating or causing to identify, generate, access, query, correlate, select, and / or match, transmit, and / or receive." "Initiating or causing an action" includes any process signal that triggers a computing node to perform the respective action.

[0165] In the claims as well as in the description, the terms "comprise" or "include" do not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several entities or items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used in an advantageous embodiment.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computer for monitoring and / or controlling the recyclable raw material supply for the production of at least one component of a product, - A step of providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of the at least one component of the product, - A step of providing operating data associated with at least one operating characteristic of at least one production plant, - A step of identifying the recycle rate supply material content of one or more recycling precursors based on the recycling data and the operation data, - A step of providing the recycle rate supply material content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of the product, - A step of controlling and / or monitoring the recycle rate feed material based on the recycle rate feed material content of one or more recycled precursors for production, method.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recycling data includes the amount of recyclable material of one or more precursors, the amount of recyclable material allocated to one or more precursors, and / or the total amount of recyclable material supplied to at least one component of the product.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising the step of providing a target performance parameter associated with the chemical performance of the component to be produced.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing at least one emission target relating to the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of the at least one component, wherein the recycle rate feed material content is determined based on the at least one emission target relating to the use of the one or more recycled precursors.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a total emissions target for producing the at least one component, wherein the recyclable feedstock content is determined based on the total emissions target for producing the at least one component.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the total emission target relates to the recyclable feedstock content and / or the at least one operating characteristic of the production plant.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein a production plant is selected that satisfies the at least one emission target for the use of the precursor and / or the total emission target for producing the at least one component.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operational data includes availability data relating to the availability of one or more recycled precursors for producing the at least one component of the product, the availability data being derived from a product or material identifier associated with the recycled material.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating data includes capacity data relating to the capacity of the at least one production plant for producing the components of the product, process data relating to process details of the at least one production plant for producing the at least one component of the product, and / or emission data relating to emissions of the at least one production plant for producing the at least one component of the product.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a production plant for producing the at least one component of the product, wherein the selection depends on operational data, preferably process data, capacity data, and / or emissions data.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the production plant for producing the at least one component of the product depends on operating data, at least one emission target, total emission target, and / or the specified recyclable feedstock content.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one component of the product is an electrode active material, and one or more recycled precursors are derived from black mass material.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: identifying an operational command to control the precursor supply material of at least one unused precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor based on the identified recyclable feed material content and / or the selected production plant; and providing an operational command to control the precursor supply material of at least one unused precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor.

14. An apparatus for controlling and / or monitoring recycled supply materials for the production of at least one component of a product, comprising one or more processing nodes, and when performed by one or more processing nodes, the apparatus performs the following steps, namely: - A step of providing recycling data associated with the use of one or more recycled precursors in the production of the at least one component of the product, - A step of providing operating data associated with at least one operating characteristic of at least one production plant, - A step of identifying the recycle rate supply material content of one or more recycling precursors based on the recycling data and the operation data, - A step of providing the recycle rate supply material content of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of the product, - A step of controlling and / or monitoring the recycle rate feed material based on the recycle rate feed material content of one or more recycled precursors for production, One or more machine-readable media having machine-executable instructions configured to execute, A device equipped with the following features.

15. Use of the recyclate feed material content, produced according to the method of Claim 1 and / or provided by the apparatus of Claim 14, for monitoring and / or controlling the production of at least one component of a product, or for identifying the environmental footprint of the at least one component of the product being produced, or for verifying the recycling quota of the product.

16. A computer program having instructions configured to perform, when executed on a computing device in a computing environment, the steps of the method according to claim 1 and / or the steps provided by the apparatus according to claim 14.

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