Circular economy in vehicle electrification: recycling of lithium-ion batteries

In a global energy context where the demand for energy is constantly increasing, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become indispensable in our nomadic technologies, as well as in our electric vehicles. Given the limited abundance of metals (such as cobalt) that are used in these batteries, their recycling is now obvious to ensure sustainable access to this technology. In addition to avoiding the exploitation of virgin materials (and the human beings who extract them), the recycling of BLI also allows the supply of strategic metals to be bypassed, offering independence to the company producing the battery materials and to its customers. This research programme aims to develop a sustainable and cost-effective recycling process for the recovery of lithium and metals from used ILBs. The closed loop electrochemical technology envisaged allows the by-product generated to be converted into a precursor essential to the process. Thus, this technology has the following advantages: no by-product obtained, no waste production, no consumption of base or acid, no need to supply high purity battery grade lithium hydroxide. The process developed in this work would result in a vertically integrated process, controlling the value chain from the recycling of lithium battery waste, to the generation of precursors, to the synthesis of a new battery material.

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