Direct Battery Recycling via Core-Section Solvent Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion battery recycling methods face challenges such as high energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and costly waste treatment due to inefficient recycling processes, particularly for cathode materials like LiFetM1−tPO4, which are not economically advantageous through smelting or hydrometallurgical methods, and physical disassembly is time-consuming and difficult to scale.
Innovation Solution
A scalable direct recycling technique that processes lithium-ion batteries into core sections including anode, cathode, and separator, which are then chemically processed in a solvent to form a homogeneous mixture of cathode materials, allowing for the extraction and relithiation of battery-grade cathode materials without physical separation of anodes and cathodes, enabling simultaneous recycling of batteries in different states of charge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If physical disassembly methods are used to separate battery components, then component separation is achieved, but the process is time-consuming and difficult to scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical disassembly with chemical processing. Battery core sections are treated with solvents that chemically dissolve binders and release active materials, eliminating the need for time-consuming physical separation while enabling scalable processing of multiple batteries simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces chemical solvents as intermediaries to facilitate component separation. These solvents act as mediators that selectively dissolve battery components and release active materials, enabling efficient separation without direct mechanical intervention
2Loss of substance
If smelting or hydrometallurgical methods are used to recycle cathode materials, then material recovery is achieved, but the process is costly and energy-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the processing parameters from high-temperature smelting to ambient or mild temperature chemical treatment. By using solvents at lower temperatures to dissolve binders and release active materials, the process dramatically reduces energy consumption while maintaining effective cathode material recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent selectively discards battery components (binders, separators) through chemical dissolution while recovering valuable active materials. The solvent selectively dissolves unwanted components, allowing easy separation and recovery of cathode and anode materials without energy-intensive processing
3Manufacturing precision
If batteries in different states of charge are processed separately, then processing accuracy is maintained, but the recycling process becomes complex and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal chemical processing system that handles batteries regardless of their state of charge. The solvent-based method works effectively on batteries in any charge state, eliminating the need for separate processing lines or complex sorting mechanisms while maintaining material recovery quality
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and manufacturing costs by efficiently recycling valuable cathode and anode materials while preserving their structure and electrochemical properties, facilitating large-scale recycling and cost savings by recovering high-value cathode materials.
Implementation Method 1
The solvent and the electrolyte form an ionic conductive medium
Implementation Method 2
disposing the plurality of core sections into a solvent so as to produce a mixture of cathode materials
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes processing at least one battery into a plurality of core sections. Each core section in the plurality of core sections includes an anode section, a cathode section including a cathode material, a separator section disposed between the anode section and the cathode section, and an electrolyte. The method also includes disposing the plurality of core sections into a solvent so as to produce a mixture of cathode materials from the plurality of core sections. The solvent and the electrolyte form an ionic conductive medium, and the mixture of the cathode materials is characterized by a substantially homogeneous distribution of an active element in the cathode material.