Corrugated Electrode Stripping for High-Purity Battery Material Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for recovering active materials from lithium-ion batteries face challenges such as low efficiency, low purity, and contamination due to electrode deformation and impurity mixing during the stripping process, particularly when the active material adheres firmly to the electrode.
Innovation Solution
A method involving processing the electrode into a corrugated shape to prevent deformation during stripping, using external stimuli like airflow, water flow, or shock waves to efficiently strip the active material while maintaining high purity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the electrode is cut into small pieces (approximately 10 mm) to efficiently strip the active material, then the active material stripping efficiency is improved, but the electrode deforms and becomes minute during long-time treatment, causing impurity contamination and complicating the separation process
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is processed into a corrugated shape with undulating surface features rather than a flat surface. This curved geometry prevents the electrode from deforming into minute pieces during the stripping process, as the corrugated structure provides structural stability while still allowing efficient active material removal.
2Reliability
If the active material adheres firmly to the electrode, then the battery performance is improved, but the active material stripping rate becomes low in conventional processes
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated structure creates local variations in the electrode surface, with different regions having different adhesion characteristics. The undulating geometry provides areas where active material adheres strongly for battery performance while creating separation zones that facilitate efficient stripping during recycling.
3Ease of manufacture
If high-temperature processes (roasting or melting) are used to recover materials, then the recycling process is simplified, but a large amount of carbon dioxide is generated and materials are oxidized and mixed, reducing the value of recovered materials
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces thermal processing methods with a mechanical stripping approach using corrugated electrodes. Instead of using heat (roasting or melting) to separate and recover materials, the process uses the corrugated structure combined with mechanical actions (such as airflow or physical separation) to strip active material from the electrode, avoiding carbon dioxide emissions and material oxidation.
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
The method achieves high recovery rates and purity of active materials by preventing electrode deformation and reducing impurity contamination, while also reducing environmental impact by avoiding high-temperature processes.
Implementation Method 1
processing the electrode into a corrugated shape to prevent deformation during stripping
Implementation Method 2
using external stimuli like airflow, water flow, or shock waves to efficiently strip the active material
Implementation Method 3
using external stimuli like airflow, water flow, or shock waves to efficiently strip the active material
Implementation Method 4
preventing electrode deformation and reducing impurity contamination
Data Source
AI summary
A method for recovering an active material from a power storage device includes a processing step of processing at least a part of an electrode of a power source device including the electrode to which an active material adheres, such that the part becomes a corrugated shape.