Project description
The COMET module FuLIBatteR, funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), aims to be the missing link to close material cycles and existing data gaps for decision makers in the field of LIB recycling. The project, which will run for four years (starting on 01.07.2022), aims to investigate different recovery options for (critical) raw materials from the active material of LIB and to identify new ways of increasing recycling efficiency. In three sub-projects, scientific and corporate partners from Austria, Germany and Great Britain are working on physical (sub-project 1), pyrometallurgical (sub-project 2) and bio-hydrometallurgical electrochemical (sub-project 3) treatment processes. The focus is on the recovery of the elements Li, Co, P, graphite (classified as critical raw materials according to the EU), the valuable metals Ni, Co and Mn, as well as Si from new LIB systems. All sub-projects are linked by the cross-cutting issue of ecological assessment. The aim is to develop a catalogue of measures or a basis for decision-makers and plant operators in the field of sustainable battery production and battery recycling.
Problem and background
Current battery recycling processes focus mainly on mechanical processing. In this process, casings, cables, and other coarse components are separated. After reprocessing, the finely ground active material contains the largest mass fraction of LIB (up to 70% by weight of the battery mass) and contains the critical elements lithium, phosphorus, cobalt, silicon, and graphite, as well as other economically important metals such as copper, nickel, and manganese in varying concentrations. Many of these elements are currently not recovered specifically but end up either in waste gas or slag after pyrometallurgical treatment or are dissolved in wastewater after hydrometallurgical treatment.
Aims of the project
To surpass the state of the art in the fields of mechanics, pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy, different approaches will be tested. The expected high quality output fractions are to be reused as secondary raw materials for battery production or other industries such as steel and refractory. For example, one can use the generated metal alloy as an additive for special steels or the graphite as an additive to produce magnesia carbon brick. Cooperation with companies that use LIB, for example in the automotive industry, closes material loops and guarantees successful research.
- Waste management and mechanical processing approaches for LIB recycling
- Pyrometallurgical processing of LIB active material
- Bio-hydrometallurgical processing of LIB active material
| Process | State of the art | Innovation by FuLIBatteR |
| Thermal pretreatment | Optionally used to deactivate LIBs for more convenient material handling thermally | Research of interdependency of material properties operating parameters of thermal pre-treatment and influence on downstream processes (lab scale experiments, CFD simulation) |
| Pyrometallurgy | A standard operation to treat LIB | Establishment of Li recovery from off-gas |
| Flexible with regards to LIB input composition | Research of increasing thermal efficiency | |
| Recovery of Co, Ni, Cu | Smart slag design to reduce loss of metals | |
| Carbon is lost as CO2 | Removal of graphite-rich concentrate before pyrometallurgical treatment | |
| Li, Al and partially Mn are lost to slag | ||
| Hydrometallurgy | A standard operation to treat LIB active material or residues of pyrometallurgical treatments | C recovery by froth flotation or magnetic density separation |
| Carbon is lost to residue | Optional Si recovery as by-product of magnetic density separation | |
| Froth Flotation | The standard process of ore concentration | Thermally pre-treated active material as input |
| Tested on mechanically treated LIB cells | Varying LIB types as input | |
| Cascadic use of process water as input in bio-electrochemical systems | ||
| Recycling of Li and P of process water using naturally occurring zeolite and stripping | ||
| Bioleaching | Like hydrometallurgical treatments however using microorganisms to solubilize metals | Active material from LIB as new input material |
| Main field of application is the treatment of mineral ores | Research of suitable microorganisms (pure, co-culture) | |
| Electrolysis | Standard method to reduce metals | Research of bio-electrochemical systems as alternative |
| Energy intense | Zero to low energy usage | |
| Ecological Impact | Little to no publicly available data | LCA and MFA to shed light on ecological meaningfulness of treatment steps and the basis for ecologically reasonable decision-making in line with sustainable development goals |