Illustration of the principle of refining new energy batteries

How can NREL increase the lifetime value of lithium-ion batteries?

As batteries proliferate in electric vehicles and stationary energy storage, NREL is exploring ways to increase the lifetime value of battery materials through reuse and recycling. NREL research addresses challenges at the initial stages of material and product design to reduce the critical materials required in lithium-ion batteries.

What happens to batteries as we move toward electrification?

As we shift toward electrification, the number of spent batteries will increase dramatically. The current recycling process involves dismantling the batteries to recover valuable raw materials and resynthesizing them. However, this process is time consuming, costly, and energy intensive.

Why is pre-treatment of battery materials important before the roasting process?

Pre-treatment of battery materials is essential before the roasting process to prevent explosions and ensure a mixture of cathode and anode materials. Given the varied composition of spent NCM, the roasting process is utilized to incinerate carbon, organic matter, and specific metals.

What are the challenges in battery recycling?

(5) Design of new battery materials: The emergence of a new generation of battery systems and the development of new material concepts and battery designs have contributed to the increasing heterogeneity and complexity of raw materials used for battery recycling, presenting significant challenges to the application process.

Why do large-application batteries need energy-saving processes?

For safety reasons, large-application batteries are often operated in temperature-controlled systems with air or water, 17,18 where the loss of carrier ions tends to be the dominant mode of degradation. If a battery has less damage to its active material, an energy-saving process may be recommended after proper diagnosis and classification.

How can NREL improve direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries?

As part of the ReCell Center, NREL is working with Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to improve direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries, which uses less energy and captures more of the critical materials.