Powered by advancements in battery technology, the number ofplug-in hybrid and electric vehicleson U.S. roads is increasing.
And utilities are generating a growing share of their power from renewable fuels, supported bylarge-scale battery storage systems.
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However, todays lithium-ion batteries are highly sophisticated and not designed for recyclability.
Moreover, manufacturers have little economic incentive to modify existing protocols to incorporate recycling-friendly designs.
Today itcosts more to recyclea lithium-ion battery than the recoverable materials inside it are worth.
Often it is cheaper for them to store batteries than to treat and recycle them.
But the lack of proper battery recycling infrastructure creates roadblocks along the entire supply chain.
For example, transporting used batteries over long distances to recycling centers would typically be done by truck.
Lithium batteries must be packaged and shipped according to the U.S. Department of TransportationsClass 9 hazardous material regulations.
A solid-state battery replaces the flammable organic liquid electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries with a nonflammable inorganic solid electrolyte.
After analyzing the options, weve chosen a combination of specific chemistries in next-generation all-solid-state batteries thatmeets these requirements.
Instead, it employs only safe, low-cost materials such as alcohol and water-based recycling techniques.
This approach is scalable and environmentally friendly.
It dramatically simplifies conventional battery recycling processes and makes it safe to disassemble and handle the materials.
A proposed procedure for recycling solid-state battery packs directly and harvesting their materials for reuse.
Moreover, in our proposed design the entire battery can be recycled directly without separating it into individual components.
This feature dramatically reduces the complexity and cost of recycling them.
Our design is a proof-of-concept technology developed at the laboratory scale.
Rules for battery recycling
Developing an easy-to-recycle battery is just one step.
Many challenges associated with battery recycling stem from the complex logistics of handling them.
Creating facilities, regulations and practices for collecting batteries is just as important as developing better recycling technologies.
China, South Korea and the European Union arealready developing battery recycling systems and mandates.
These could help to educate consumers and waste collectors about how to handle different types of used batteries.
Making this data readily available would facilitate automated sorting of large volumes of batteries at waste facilities.
It is also vital to improve international enforcement of recycling policies.
