Lithium battery recycling has been proved to be an important solution to reduce the impact on the environment and ensure important battery metal future supply.
Stanford University’s recent research emphasizes the important advantages of lithium -ion battery recycling, especially for the emissions, water usage, and energy consumption of greenhouse gases (GHG), especially for the amount of lithium -ion battery.
The survey showed that lithium battery recycling was less than half of the conventional mining process GHG, and only one -quarter of water and energy was used. Recycling a defective scrap material, which accounts for about 90 % of the recycled supply, is even more prominent.
This process will result in only 19 % of GHG emissions, 12 % of water use, and 11 % of energy use compared to conventional mining and improvement methods.
Main source of recycling lithium batteries
The main source of recycling lithium batteries comes from two mainstreams. It is a scrap material from a battery manufacturer and an end -of -life battery collected by companies and consumers.
These sauces provide essential metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, and aluminum. These are all essential for battery production.
Extracting these materials through recycling will significantly reduce the deterioration of the environment compared to conventional mining.
In addition, the reduction of energy requirements is converted to a low -level air pollutant, including sulfur and sulfur.
Place and energy mix
The environmental advantage of lithium battery recycling is largely dependent on where the recycled facilities are and where the energy source depends.
In areas that produce power from fossil fuels such as coal, the advantage of climate decreases. On the other hand, areas with clean energy sources such as hydropower, geothermal, and sun offer more environmentally -friendly recycling processes.
The main case study is from Redwood material in Nevada, the largest industrial lithium -ion battery cycle facility in Nebada.
The company has benefited from a relatively clean -energy mix in the western United States, which helps to minimize the footprints of the environment.
Role of transportation in battery cycle
Another important factor that affects the sustainability of the lithium battery cycle is transportation. Mining and purified battery metals often require a wide range of global transportation.
For example, about 80 % of the world’s cobalt supply occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 75 % was transported to China for further processing.
Similarly, lithium is mainly mined in Australia and Chile, and then heads to China for sophisticated.
In contrast, recycling lithium -ion batteries requires a shorter transport distance. According to the survey, conventional mining and refining include a transport distance of 35,000 miles (57,000 km) with average transport distance (57,000 kilometers), which is equivalent to turning gloves 1.5 times.
On the other hand, collecting and transporting used batteries to California recycling facilities cover only about 140 miles (225 km). This significant decrease in transportation distance further enhances the sustainability of lithium battery recycling.
Progress of technology in battery recycling
Lithium battery recycling is still an emerging industry, but innovative technology has improved efficiency and sustainability. Conventional heat -type processes require a very high temperature and become an energy -intensive type.
However, redwood materials have been developed at low temperatures, eliminating the use of fossil fuels, and have developed a patented technology called “reduction firing”, which increases the recovery rate of lithium.
Similar innovation has appeared in research institutes around the world, improving recycling methods and making them more sustainable. These progress can further enhance the environmental benefits of lithium battery recycling, combined with strategic facilities.
Urgent need for industrial -scale recycling
Despite its advantages, recycling of lithium battery has not expanded enough to meet the growing demand for battery materials.
Experts predict that new cobalt, nickel, and lithium can be very low within the next 10 years. Low -grade minerals may still be mined, but this approach is impossible in the long term.
Currently, the United States recycle about 50 % of available lithium -ion batteries. In comparison, the lead -sterilization batteries generally used in vehicles have achieved 99 % recycling rate over decades.
Considering that used lithium -ion batteries contain a significant economic value, the rise in recycling can bring important opportunities for economic and environmentally sustainable possibilities.
The lithium battery cycle offers a resolution and sustainable alternative, replacing conventional mining, reducing the impact on the environment, securing important metal supply, and reducing the amount of world transportation emissions.
As technology advances and recycled infrastructure expand, the industry can be the basis for clean energy transition.
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