Future Lithium Ion Battery Recycling for Recovery of Critical Raw Materials
Abstract
The challenge of sustainable battery recycling is driven by increasing electromobility, but also by an amendment to the EU Battery Regulation, which requires higher recycling rates for the valuable materials contained in the batteries. Regarding a closure of material cycles and material circularity, the COMET module FuLIBatteR addresses the end of the battery value chain. Currently, there is no sustainable solution to recover the critical raw materials lithium, phosphorus, cobalt, and graphite contained in the active material, as well as the economically important metals nickel, copper, and manganese in a usable form. The vision and motivation of the module lies in the treatment of the active material from the mechanical processing of lithium-ion batteries to test innovative and efficient methods for a recovery of valuable materials. In the module, physical separation, pyrometallurgical and bio-hydrometallurgical process routes will be investigated and evaluated on a laboratory scale. In the area of mechanical battery processing, a development of the thermal battery deactivation process based on CFD simulations will be done, and consequently the investigation to separate a graphite fraction of highest possible purity from the active material by means of flotation. The resulting flotation wastewater will also be further treated to recover dissolved lithium. In the field of pyrometallurgy, an innovative concept for the selective recovery of phosphorus and lithium via the gas phase will be tested in the laboratory. In an inductively heated coke bed reactor, lithium and phosphorus can be reduced from the active material and transferred to the gas phase. A subsequent gas scrubber is to ensure a selective separation. The generation of a low-volume, low-metal slag (low metal losses) is also a goal of this process route. The third innovative approach investigates the use of microorganisms. Using biological leaching as well as electrochemical processes, selective metal recovery will be quantified in the laboratory. In this context, the question whether peptides enable metal recovery will also be clarified, which represents a novel approach either. The secondary raw materials produced will not only be fed back into the battery production process but will also find applicability in other resource-intensive sectors. FuLIBatteR is investigating whether the secondary products generated can be used in the steel or refractory industries. Finally, the treatment routes explored in the module will also be evaluated for integration into the battery recycling process chain to lead to increased efficiency in terms of material recovery. FuLIBatteR can almost close the material cycle in battery treatment.
keywords recycling strategy Lithium Ion Battery recovery of valuable materials
Publikationen
Project staff
Klemens Kremser
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Klemens Kremser
klemens.kremser@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97498
Project Leader
11.05.2022 - 30.06.2026
Michaela Preßnig
Mag. Dr. Michaela Preßnig
michaela.pressnig@boku.ac.at
Project Leader
01.07.2022 - 10.05.2022
Georg Gübitz
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Georg Gübitz
guebitz@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97001, 97402
Sub Projectleader
01.07.2022 - 30.06.2026
Leon Robert Jelic
Leon Robert Jelic B.Sc.
leon.jelic@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.07.2022 - 30.06.2026
Doris Ribitsch
Priv.-Doz. Mag. Dr. Doris Ribitsch
doris.ribitsch@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97485
Project Staff
01.07.2022 - 30.06.2026
BOKU partners
External partners
Saubermacher
none
partner
ACIB GmbH
none
partner
K1-MET GmbH
none
coordinator
Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft, Montanuniversität Leoben
none
partner
Coventry University
none
partner
voestalpine Stahl GmbH
none
partner