New Material That Makes Recycling Batteries Easier Will Help Fight Future Shortage

A new material could make recycling batteries simple, researchers say. Lithium-ion batteries power all devices that have become synonymous with modern living, but the main elements required to such batteries - lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite are becoming increasingly scarce.

Owing to such conditions, recycling old batteries is the need of the hour.

Unsplash

Enter, "Quick-Release Binder"

To this end, scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have invented an award-winning battery material called the "Quick-Release Binder" that makes it simple and affordable to separate the ingredients of Li-ion batteries so that they may be used for a new battery.

"We're getting to the point that recycling batteries will be a requirement," said Gao Liu, a senior scientist in Berkeley Lab's Energy Technologies Area and leader of the project.

Unsplash

Also read: Meta's Ex-Employee Says Facebook Drains Users' Smartphone Battery Intentionally

"If we don't stop burning them and throwing them in the trash, we will run out of resources in the next ten years. It's just impossible to keep up with the number of batteries the market is demanding otherwise. There's just not enough cobalt, not enough nickel¡ªwe have to recycle," Liu added.

How does Quick-Release Binder work?

According to TechXplore, the Quick-Release Binder needs to be opened, placed in room temperature alkaline water, and then gently shaken. Then, the separated elements may be filtered out of the way and air-dried.

Current recycling methods involve shredding, grinding, and later burning them to separate the metals from other parts.

When Liu and his team were working on lithium-sulfur batteries (a potential alternative to Li-ion batteries), they ended up creating the Quick-Release Binder. While Li-S batteries are from from commercial use, the creation of this method has the potential to make recycling Li-ion batteries easier.

Also read: Low-Cost Battery Absorbs Carbon Dioxide While Charging, Ensures Responsible Disposal

The Quick-Release Binder helps separate various components separate from each other so that they may be individually collected for recycling. "We demonstrated that the whole process is very easy at the lab scale and we see no reason why it won't work equally well at the industrial scale," said Chen Fang, a postdoctoral researcher in Liu's lab.

Unsplash

The team believes that it may be used on batteries of all sizes - from the tiny ones in our cell phones to the large batteries used to back-up energy on power grids. Currently, the team is working with a battery recycling developer to finish testing the product so that it could eventually be brought to the market.

Also read: New Eco-Friendly Battery Is Made From Crab And Lobster Shells

"There's no fundamental obstacle in adapting the current manufacturing process to use the binder because it will actually simplify manufacturing for the same reason it simplifies recycling¡ªyou can use water instead of harsh solvents," said Chen.

Unsplash

The team's tech was recognised by the R&D 100 Awards as the top 100 revolutionary technologies developed around the world in 2022.

Do you recycle your electronics before discarding them? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.