The growing use of lithium-ion batteries has created a need for improved recycling. Researchers at Rice University report a two-step process, FJH-ClO, that uses brief heating with controlled gases instead of long chemical treatments. The team published the work in Advanced Materials.
First, battery material is briefly heated in chlorine gas to break compounds that bind lithium and other metals. Then the material undergoes a short heating in air, which turns most metals into oxides that can be separated from lithium. Because lithium does not oxidize easily, it remains as a chloride and can be removed with water.
Tests show the method can recover nearly all valuable materials with high purity, including lithium, cobalt and graphite. Early analyses suggest it may need about half as much energy, use 95% fewer chemicals, and cost significantly less. The process is proven at laboratory scale and the team plans to scale it through their startup, Flash Metals USA, a division of Metallium Ltd. Support came from DARPA, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Difficult words
- innovative — Using new and creative ideas.
- efficient — Achieving maximum results with minimal waste.
- recycling — Processing used materials to make new products.
- transition — Movement from one state or condition to another.
- sustainable — Able to be maintained without harming the environment.
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Discussion questions
- How can innovative recycling methods impact the environment?
- What other industries might benefit from similar processes?
- In what ways can we promote sustainable materials in production?
- What challenges do we face with recycling lithium-ion batteries?
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