Xalt Energy and Racell Center want to make battery recycling profitable

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Xalt Energy and Racell Center want to make battery recycling profitable-racell

Numerous studies assume that in 2030 about 180.000 tonnes of lithium, 450.000 tonnes nickel and 930.000 tonnes of cobalt from recycling must be recovered to cover global need for lithium-ion batteries. Xalt Energy and the Racell Center – the Battery Recycling Center of the Vehicle Technologies Office of the US Energy Ministry – therefore start a joint cooperation on the development of a sustainable recycling process for lithium-ion batteries.

The rising demand for the raw materials is due to the highly growing demand for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Which in turn are driven by the demand for e-cars and plug-in hybrids. However, contrary to this is that the necessary natural raw materials are limited, as well as the economically meaningful recycling concepts for used batteries.

This problem wants to solve Xalt Energy and the Racell Center in its joint project: The aim is to develop a simple separation method that allows direct recycling of used electrode materials into new battery electrodes. This significantly reduce the large amounts of natural raw materials needed for battery production.

The two partners start cooperation at a time when the supply chains for critical materials such as lithium-nickel manganese cobalt oxides (NMC) are still under construction. The perfect time to significantly reduce the amount of materials to be transported worldwide and thus lower the emissions during transport as well as energy costs. In addition, a recycling method would reduce the cost of battery manufacturers.

While working with the Racell Center, XALT ENERGY provides old batteries and performs proof-of-concept tests. The new recycling method separates cycle-damaged nickel-manganese cobalt film coatings, in contrast to the existing hydro- and pyrometallurgical methods, preparing them for reuse in new batteries. This procedure is significantly less energy-intensive and thus more sustainable. So far, several energy-intensive steps were required to convert metal sulfates to useful battery materials such as copper foil or NMC. The focus of the Racell Center on simpler methods for separating and rejuvenating batteries therefore offers clear cost and environmental benefits.

Jeff Spangenberger, director of the Racell Center, commented on cooperation as follows: “At the moment there are not many old batteries from electric vehicles because they hold so long. We were looking for battery materials to further develop our technology that is still in its infancy. Thanks to the coated foil chrot and the spent pouch cells that Xalt Energy has provided us, we were able to realize the recycling program.”

Spangenberg gives in the message of Xalt Energy to understand that “battery recycling be profitable” must be calculated for the companies involved. “We will certainly see economies of scale, but at the moment battery recycling is still very expensive. Cooperation from the Recell Center and Xalt Energy makes a contribution to the fact that the recycling of batteries in the medium term becomes a cost-effective alternative to the processing of natural raw materials “, so the director of the RECELL CENTER attenuate.

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1 thought on “Xalt Energy and Racell Center want to make battery recycling profitable”

  1. If the many short-distance drivers would be satisfied with the electric cars with smaller batteries, then half could be saved to batteries. In addition, solar modules on the body and the batteries of the short-distance drivers could be a little smaller – that would be additional environmental protection.

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