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Batteries
Published in Larry E. Erickson, Gary Brase, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality, 2019
Efforts for battery production are increasing. Tesla built a Gigafactory in Nevada with a goal to produce 35 GWh/year of lithium-ion cells in 2018 (Lambert, 2018a). China is advancing in the battery production market and now has over 140 EV battery manufacturers. By 2020, China’s cell production global market share is expected to increase up to 70% (Perkowski, 2017). Japan and South Korea have major manufacturing plants (Lutsey et al., 2018). Many companies are working to make the battery making process as sustainable as possible. One major factor in this is recycling the materials, such as nickel, cobalt, and iron, from old batteries (‘Battery Recycling’, 2015). Volkswagen is planning to make a $1.1 billion investment for a new battery factory in Germany (Evarts, 2019a).
Electric Vehicle Advancements, Barriers, and Potential: A Comprehensive Review
Published in Electric Power Components and Systems, 2023
Alperen Mustafa Çolak, Erdal Irmak
Battery recycling, particularly for EVs, poses several challenges. One significant challenge is the complex composition of EV batteries, which consist of multiple materials that must be carefully separated and processed. Additionally, safety concerns arise due to the potential presence of flammable electrolytes and the risk of thermal runaway during the recycling process [198–200]. Ensuring the development of safe and efficient recycling methods is paramount to overcome these challenges and maximize resource recovery. Battery recycling not only contributes to environmental sustainability but also presents economic opportunities. The recovered materials from recycled batteries can be used to manufacture new batteries, reducing the reliance on primary raw materials and lowering production costs [201]. Additionally, recycling batteries reduces the environmental impact associated with mining, such as deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution. By recovering valuable materials, minimizing waste, and reducing environmental impact, battery recycling ensures that the transition to EVs remains truly eco-friendly [106,116,126,201]. As technologies and recycling infrastructure continue to advance, it is imperative to foster collaboration among stakeholders, encourage policy support, and promote consumer awareness to maximize the benefits of battery recycling and drive the sustainable future of EVs.
Manufacturing, use phase or final disposal: where to focus the efforts to reduce the environmental impact of a food machine?
Published in Production & Manufacturing Research, 2022
Roberta Stefanini, Bricoli Barbara, Giuseppe Vignali
Considering the lead batteries, the European Commission established that their recycling should be as high as possible (EUR-Lex, 2020), since they are dangerous to human and planet health (ECHA, 2020): indeed, Member States declare a recycling rate often higher than 97% and up to 100% (Eionet Portal, 2019; European Commission, 2018). The lead-acid battery recycling process consists of the crushing, smelting and refining phases; to produce one kg of lead from exhausted batteries, it takes just 1/3 of the energy to process the mineral extracted from the Earth. The lead and plastic materials obtained from the recycling process are mostly (60%) reused for new batteries, 15% in the ceramic and chemical industry, 8% in the production of electrical cable coatings and 17% for pellets, weights, building elements and radiological equipment. For example, polypropylene, often present in these batteries, is reused to produce electrical insulators, sanitary and household items, packaging and pipes (Gestione-Rifiuti & Sicurezza Operativa Ambientale, 2022).
International Process Metallurgy Symposium (IPMS) 2021
Published in Transactions of the IMF, 2022
Spent lithium ion batteries are a valuable source of secondary materials (metal compounds, metals and graphite), but the complex mix of materials is challenging to handle both from a technological and economical point of view. It is expected that battery recycling can benefit from adopting established metallurgy unit operations (mechanical, dry processing, thermal, flotation, hydrometallurgical, electrochemical, etc.) normally used for processing primary materials. However, at present not enough batteries reach their end-of-life and become available for recycling to provide the materials required for the fast-increasing demand for new batteries. Therefore, it is clear that the primary production will still be the major source of metals for the coming decades. Other secondary sources are also needed, integrating material streams from other sectors, like industrial side-streams and tailings. Even the opportunities and challenges of harvesting and processing marine minerals were discussed. There is a huge amount of minerals on and under the seabed, but excavation is very challenging and a serious risk to the marine environment.