#lithium battery waste recycling

[batteryrecyclingcompany]

Accelerating India's EV Revolution: The Future of Battery Recycling with LOHUM

The electric vehicle (EV) industry is witnessing an unprecedented transformation, with India at the forefront of this shift. As the adoption of EVs surges, so does the demand for sustainable battery solutions. A key enabler of this green transition is the recycling of EV batteries in India, which ensures a circular economy for critical minerals while reducing environmental impact.

The Growing Need for EV Battery Recycling

By 2030, analysts predict that over 2 million metric tonnes of lithium-ion batteries will retire annually. India, with its fast-growing EV market, will see a massive influx of used batteries from Li-ion battery pack 2 wheeler & 3 wheeler vehicles. Currently, while new battery technology continues to improve, the need for efficient recycling processes is more critical than ever.

LOHUM, India’s leading battery recycling and repurposing company, is pioneering solutions to extend battery life and recover valuable minerals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. Our approach not only reduces reliance on raw material imports but also ensures a sustainable battery ecosystem for the future.

Innovations in Battery Recycling: Closing the Loop

Traditional pyrometallurgical processes for battery recycling result in high energy consumption and loss of lithium and aluminum. However, advanced hydrometallurgical and direct recycling methods are emerging as more efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives. Studies indicate that direct recycling can retain up to 95% of a battery’s performance by preserving the cathode structure, thereby enhancing longevity and reducing manufacturing costs.

By leveraging cutting-edge technology, LOHUM ensures that the recycling of EV batteries in India not only mitigates waste but also aligns with India’s ambitious sustainability goals. Our process enables high-purity material recovery, significantly lowering the carbon footprint of battery production and reinforcing India’s position as a leader in clean mobility.

Second-Life Batteries: Unlocking New Possibilities

Beyond recycling, repurposing retired EV batteries for second-life applications holds immense potential. A Li-ion battery pack 2 wheeler & 3 wheeler vehicle, after reaching the end of its primary use, can still retain up to 80% of its capacity. These batteries can be utilized in stationary energy storage, supporting solar and grid applications for an additional 6–10 years.

LOHUM is committed to maximizing battery life cycles through innovative refurbishment and repurposing strategies. By integrating these solutions, we are fostering a sustainable energy ecosystem while making EV adoption more economically viable for consumers.

Policy and Future Outlook

The Indian government is taking proactive steps to establish a robust battery recycling infrastructure. With initiatives promoting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the development of domestic battery supply chains, the industry is set to witness significant growth. California’s model of 100% EV battery recycling could serve as a benchmark, enabling India to further strengthen its green energy initiatives.

The global lithium-ion battery market is projected to exceed $400 billion by 2035, with a tenfold increase in battery demand by 2030. In this rapidly evolving landscape, LOHUM is spearheading the movement towards a cleaner and more efficient EV ecosystem by driving innovation in recycling of EV batteries in India and advancing second-life applications.

Conclusion: Powering the Future with LOHUM

As we transition towards an electrified future, the importance of sustainable battery solutions cannot be overstated. LOHUM remains steadfast in its mission to redefine the Li-ion battery pack 2 wheeler & 3 wheeler industry through responsible recycling and material recovery. Our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and circular economy principles ensures that India stays ahead in the global EV revolution.

The time to act is now—by embracing smarter recycling solutions, we can drive a greener tomorrow while securing energy independence for the future.

Visit us at: lithium-ion battery value recovery

[reasonsforhope]

I'm worried about electronic waste, e-waste recycling, and such loss of resources.

That's real. For what it's worth, I think it's something we're going to get a LOT better at. The raw materials - and even partially depleted materials that can be downcycled - are too valuable to be left forever.

Tip for anyone worried about e-waste or looking to be more environmentally conscious: Whenever I have something electronic that dies (this includes batteries, power cords, string lights, and vapes), I stick it in an out-of-the-way drawer, and then once every year or two, I bring it all to either an e-waste recycling place or an e-waste disposal place (which, my understanding is most e-waste disposal places do a lot of materials reclamation as well, though if I'm wrong someone please correct me). I just look online to find a place.

Sometimes it's a bit of a drive, but it's so worth it. I encourage others to do the same!

Anyway, here's some headlines about e-waste to hopefully lift your spirits:

^That's Western Australia, not Washington state.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Recycling lithium-ion batteries to recover their critical metals has significantly lower environmental impacts than mining virgin metals, according to a new Stanford University lifecycle analysis published in Nature Communications. On a large scale, recycling could also help relieve the long-term supply insecurity -- physically and geopolitically -- of critical battery minerals. Lithium-ion battery recyclers source materials from two main streams: defective scrap material from battery manufacturers, and so-called "dead" batteries, mostly collected from workplaces. The recycling process extracts lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, and aluminum from these sources.

Read more.

[learnwithmearticles]

Recycling Gaming Consoles

In the past three decades we have seen the release of over two dozen gaming consoles. During the noughties and the 2010s, plenty of game enjoyers had more than one, with the most popular three being the Playstation series from Sony, the Xbox from Microsoft, and the Wii from Nintendo, though the Nintendo DS and Switch are also very popular hybrid consoles.

The Playstation series currently has five released consoles, while the Xbox has four generations, and the Wii has three.

As new console generations are created, with new benefits and new capabilities, previous models are likely to end up in the trash. Therefore, it is important to know that gaming consoles are largely recyclable.

Electronic waste often contains lead, mercury, or cadmium - hazardous metals that can contaminate soil and water when tossed away with regular waste. When properly recycled, electronic waste can instead be refurbished or separated into materials that can be reused in manufacturing1. This has the additional benefit of reducing the demand on raw materials.

Most consoles consist of plastic casings, usually polycarbonates, with metal internal components, often aluminum or steel. They also have semiconductors, small components that can involve silicon, germanium, tin, copper, sometimes gold, and many more elements that, in small parts, make up the internal bits of electronic functions.

The Playstation 5 also uses liquid metal to advance its cooling system, as it is more conductive than alternatives like thermal paste3. This liquid metal, called Galinstan, is made of gallium, indium, and tin3.

Metals are highly recyclable, and our ability to separate mixed metals is continually improving. Aluminum is especially common in computing devices and commonly collected for reuse. In fact, it can be recycled continually without losing any quality4. Galinstan is less documented regarding its ability to be recycled, but each of its components -gallium, indium, and tin- can be recycled5.

Likewise, polycarbonates are completely recyclable. They can be shredded and used for other electronics, covers, and bottles, and more6.

Silicone is more complicated to recycle. It’s primarily made from sand or the metamorphic rock, quartzite. Fortunately, ore containing high levels of silica are plentiful and the main ingredient of silicone7. Because of the intensity of the silicone recycling process -breaking it down into tiny pieces and melting it with new silicone- it requires specialized facilities and experts8. Simply, silicone can be recycled but it cannot be casually thrown in with other random recyclable materials, or it will just end up in a landfill.

Recycling is a complex process, especially for products that use a mix of materials. Gaming consoles use many different types of metals, plastics, and silicone that need to be picked apart to properly recycle. With the advancement of technology, more ways to recycle difficult materials have been developed, so we can expect that these processes will become more efficient with time. As you look to dispose of items like your gaming consoles, be sure to investigate the best recycling sources in your area.

Lithium-Ion Batteries

While we’ve focused on standing consoles in this article, I do want to address the lithium-ion batteries in handheld devices such as the Nintendo Switch.

Lithium mining is a water-intensive process that, along with the manufacturing of these batteries, produces a lot of carbon dioxide and can contaminate water supplies with toxic materials like sulfur10. A majority of lithium-ion batteries also end up in landfills, where they continue to leach toxins and increase the risk of landfill fires10.

Fortunately, the industry of recycling these batteries is growing. This process usually involves the electronic device being taken back by the retailer or by specific e-waste storefronts, and, if sorted properly, eventually make their way to the specialized facilities that can process them11. Similarly to other consoles, it is a complicated process that has yet to be optimized, but should be doable if the consumer returns their device to the retailer at the end-of-life point.

Additional Resources

1.https://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics/basic-information-about-electronics-stewardship

2. https://droidmeg.com/what-materials-are-used-to-make-video-game-consoles/

3. https://tronicsfix.com/blogs/news/all-about-ps5-liquid-metal

4. https://international-aluminium.org/work_areas/recycling/

5. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b03689#

6. https://www.vandenrecycling.com/en/what-we-do/buy-and-sell-plastic/pc/#

7. https://mineralseducationcoalition.org/minerals-database/silica/#

8. https://www.trvst.world/waste-recycling/is-silicone-recyclable/

9. https://www.cohenusa.com/recyclable-items/game-consoles/

10.https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable/environmental-impacts-of-lithium-ion-batteries/

11. https://www.epa.gov/hw/lithium-ion-battery-recycling

[teaboot]

I feel like if you're using a lot of disposable plastic bags in your day to day life, you've gotta do something sustainable to make up for it. Like using bamboo toilet paper or eco friendly cat litter or something, yknow

Honestly I exaggerate for comedic effect, while I DO routinely use ziplock bags to hold spaghetti I cook maybe once a month and the bag itself is usually for freezer storage. I actually throw out maybe one bag a week? I DO hate washing plates and tupperware and junk but that usually just means I eat sandwiches without a plate.

I agree though that needless waste should be avoided, and I do avoid it- biodegradable bags and recyclables, empty butter tubs used to store leftovers, etc.

This said, though, not applicable necessarily for myself but for a lot of others- I feel that it's importat to remember that there are many people who legitimately NEED things like plastic straws, or catheters, or pre-packaged foods

And the idea that that's a moral failing that individuals need to personally make up for when a single billionaire blows out more CO2 in a long weekend than I will in my whole life on a superjet meet-cute in the Bolivian rainforest between humvee drag races funded by the river-polluting textiles plants they planted in a third world country to avoid EPA laws and give an entire village stillbirths and stomach cancer is an idea that those very same bigwigs have spent a LOT of time and money investing in planting in the public psyche.

Like- Glass bottles are infinitely recyclable, so why are so many drinks in plastic now? Loads of drinks manufacturers used to buy them back and clean them for re-use, so why did they stop? If they chose to make something out of a limited and environmentally irresponsible material, why is it my failing to track down a correct process of disposal for them? What if there are none in my area? Do I lobby for more recycling plants in my area? Do I set aside some of my limited time outside the pain factory of my job- which I have more than one of, thanks to rising costs of things just like that drink I just emptied- to properly dispose of this company's waste FOR them?

Say coca-cola just rolled up to your town and started dumping millions of empty plastic bottles in the street, going, "wow, you should really think about building and staffing a recycling depot, it would be really shameful of you to just put these in the trash." When companies purposefully use materials with limited lifespans- because yes, even plastic can only be reused so many times- and tell you it's your own fault if it harms the environment- that's essentially what they're doing, just with more steps.

Yes, its important to be as environmentally concious as we can in our day to day life, but responsible sustainability is not catholicism. We don't get good boy points from our lord and savior Captain Planet every time the average low-income household gathers together to hold hands and repent for a single-use plastic that allows them to access something they need.

Entire families could eat trees and shit dead lithium batteries for years and still not do as much damage to the planet as an average dye plant or braindead celebrity does in a week just for fun, and I'm mad about it

...this went on longer than intended.

TL/DR: DO recycle and minimize waste, but don't beat yourself up over the little waste you can't avoid, and follow the money.

EDIT: Part 2

[atteroewaste]

Lithium ion Battery Recycling Companies in India | ATTERO

Attero offers top-class Li-ion Battery recycling solutions in India by extracting pure grade metals and having a positive impact on the environment.

[bumblebeebats]

How come almost every rechargeable device in the world has a lithium battery which will one day, at the end of its life, swell up into a ticking time-bomb full of fire and toxic gas, and yet whenever this happens and I phone up my local council waste management department/recycling center/fire safety advice hotline like "Hi, i have a bomb, who do i give it to" they're all like

[wumblr]

there's this cruel irony of imperialism -- obviously many of them -- and there's a good chance somebody is going to call me either shortsighted, highfalutin, ungrounded, or reaching for saying this, but i've been thinking about the networked effects of extracted resources. first it was spice colonialism, then the spices all turned out to be too aphrodisiac and this eventually led to the industrialization of cornflakes

they used to construct elaborate fictions for conflict minerals, this item is unbelievably valuable and the only appropriate use for it is to commemorate a lifelong, monogamous and reproductive relationship (diamonds). now the conflict mineral (lithium) is an unnecessary substitute for an herb (tobacco) and it has become disposable

the nature and progression of imperialism requires continual growth and this means the conflict minerals can't maintain their value, they turn from precious heirloom jewelry to litter, simply because litter is less rare and so more profitable. first they had to mine the raw metals to build out an electrical grid, and then the materials to build roads and cars, and now that the grid requires baseload batteries parked in your garage we're throwing lithium on the ground. plastics have an irrevocable hold on the market simply because they're petroleum byproducts

cities could never have become as large as they did without the development of firefighting and now the baseload batteries are inextinguishable. progress of ever-smaller fragmentation for profit leads to contradiction. the city cannot move forward without the conflict mineral battery, but it can't put the fire out and it can't stop throwing them away, ostensibly to suppress use of an herb, once medicinal, now an adulterated vice. because adulterating it not only increases the rate of cancer but attributes it to personal choice, which is necessary, because otherwise it would be more attributable to the materials that keep the system running (uranium). it's incredible

the state with the lowest rate of cancer is downwind of the test site, because it's populated by yet another extremist christian wing of imperial progress, so extreme that they don't smoke or drink, because these personal choices have an outsized influence in comparison to the global contamination that the development of the bomb caused. a bit of the money made from the extraction of resources is put towards repayment for citizens of the imperial core, for exposure to the product that created their way of life, but the program expires and nobody cares because they seem to think it didn't affect them

anyway somebody threw a whole clock radio in my garden. i took the battery and now i can't do anything with it unless i want to figure out where to take it to be recycled. holding this blue plastic-wrapped cylinder of fire risk conflict mineral in my little hand and ruminating on it. do you think it traveled further than i have to get to me? i should never have left it sitting next to my keys i've been glancing at it in passing every day for weeks. of course you're not supposed to throw them on the ground, but i've already criticized the abdication of responsibility by corporations for the waste their products become. makes it into another issue of personal choice when they wouldn't have existed if they hadn't been industrialized

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Mother Jones:

The world generates more than 68 million tons of e-waste every year, according to the UN, enough to fill a convoy of trucks stretching right around the equator. By 2030, the total is projected to reach 75 million tons.

Only 22 percent of that e-waste is collected and recycled, the UN estimates. The rest is dumped, burned, or forgotten—particularly in rich countries, where most people have no convenient way to get rid of their old Samsung Galaxy phones, Xbox controllers, and myriad other gadgets. Indeed, every year, humanity is wasting more than $60 billion worth of so-called critical metals—the ones we need not only for electronics, but also for the hardware of renewable energy, from electric vehicle (EV) batteries to wind turbines.

Millions of Americans, like me, spend their workdays on pursuits that lack any physical manifestation beyond the occasional hard-copy book or memo or report. It’s easy to forget that all these livelihoods rely on machines. And that those machines rely on metals torn from the Earth.

Consider your smartphone. Depending on the model, it can contain up to two-thirds of the elements in the periodic table, including dozens of metals. Some are familiar, like the gold and tin in its circuitry and the nickel in its microphone. Others less so: Tiny flecks of indium make the screen sensitive to the touch of a finger. Europium enhances the colors. Neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium are used to build the tiny mechanism that makes your phone vibrate.

Your phone’s battery contains cobalt, lithium, and nickel. Ditto the ones that power your rechargeable drill, Roomba, and electric toothbrush—not to mention our latest modes of transportation, ranging from plug-in scooters and e-bikes to EVs. A Tesla Model S has as much lithium as up to 10,000 smartphones.

The millions of electric cars and trucks hitting the planet’s roads every year don’t spew pollutants directly, but they’ve got a monstrous appetite for electricity, nearly two-thirds of which still comes from burning fossil fuels—about one-third from coal. Harvesting more of our energy from sunlight and wind, as crucial as that is, entails its own Faustian bargain. Capturing, transmitting, storing, and using that cleaner power requires vast numbers of new machines: wind turbines, solar panels, switching stations, power lines, and batteries large and small.

You see where this is going. Our clean energy future, this global drive to save humanity from the ever-worsening ravages of global warming, depends on critical metals. And we’ll be needing more.

In all of human history, we have extracted some 700 million tons of copper from the Earth. To meet our clean energy goals, we’ll have to mine as much again in 20-odd years. By 2050, the International Energy Agency estimates, global demand for cobalt for EVs alone will soar to five times what it was in 2022. Demand for nickel will be 10 times higher. Lithium, 15 times. “The prospect of a rapid increase in demand for critical minerals—well above anything seen previously in most cases—raises huge questions about the availability and reliability of supply,” the agency warns.

Metals are natural products, but the Earth does not relinquish them willingly. Mining conglomerates rip up forests and grasslands and deserts, blasting apart the underlying rock and soil and hauling out the remains. The ore is processed, smelted, and refined using gargantuan, energy-guzzling, pollution-spewing machines and oceans of chemicals. “Mining done wrong can leave centuries of harm,” says Aimee Boulanger, head of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, which works with companies to develop more sustainable extraction practices.

The harm is staggering. Metal mining is America’s leading toxic polluter. It has sullied the watersheds of almost half of the rivers in the American West. Chemical leaks and mining runoff foul air and water. The mines also generate mountains of hazardous waste, stored behind dams that have a terrifying tendency to fail. Torrents of poisonous sludge pouring through collapsed tailings dams have contaminated waterways in Brazil, Canada, and elsewhere and killed hundreds of people—in addition to the hundreds, possibly thousands, of miners who die in workplace accidents each year.

To get what they’re after, mining companies devour natural resources on an epic scale. They dig up some 250 tons of ore and waste rock to get just 1 ton of nickel. For copper, the ratio is double that. Just to obtain the metals inside your 4.5-ounce iPhone, 75 pounds of ore had to be pulled up, crushed, and smelted, releasing up to 100 pounds of carbon dioxide. Mining firms also suck up massive quantities of water and deploy fleets of drill rigs, trucks, diggers, and other heavy machinery that collectively belch out up to 7 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Metal recycling is a completely different proposition from recycling the paper and glass we toss into our home bins for pickup. It turns out that retrieving valuable raw materials sustainably from electronic products—toasters, iPhones, power cables—is a fiendishly complex endeavor, requiring many steps carried out in many places. Manufacturing those products required a multistep international supply chain. Recycling them requires a reverse supply chain almost as complicated.

Part of the problem is that our devices typically contain only a small amount of any given metal. In developing countries, though, there are lots of people willing to put in the time and effort required to recover that little bit of value—an estimated tens of thousands of e-waste scavengers in Nigeria alone. Some go door to door with pushcarts, offering to take or even buy unwanted electronics. Others, like Anwar, work the secondhand markets, buying bits of broken gear from small businesses or rescuing them from the trash. Many scavengers earn less than the international poverty wage of about $2.15 per day.

[lele-o-north]

Recycling Centre Site Visit ✨

Today I had the opportunity to visit the Hazardous Waste Recycling Centre in Gateshead (i): a tour organised by Suez, the site owner ♻️

I am pleased with how transparent Laura and Hannah, our guides, have been while explaining what happens to the local recycling and general waste. No question has been left unanswered, and topics have been discussed with the most environmentally friendly tone: everything led to the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle 🙌🏻

The overall experience exceeded my expectations as the amount of knowledge I gained was HUGE ⛰️

This is how I would summarise today’s experience in few points:

1. Disposable vapes are a PROBLEM 💨

Strangely classified by UK Legislation as “toys, leisure and sport equipment”, they have been responsible for numerous fires at the recycling centre. E-cigarettes contain lithium batteries, which can easily ignite when segregated with the other waste streams. Furthermore, recycling one 200L barrel full of disposable vapes costs more than £2000 😰

2. Machines that sort general waste out DO NOT EXIST ⚙️

Due to complex composition of general waste, there is no machine or automated process able to effectively separate non-recyclables from recyclables that ended up in the general waste. At Suez, sorting is done BY HANDS 🤲🏻

3. Energy-from-Waste (EFW) requires A LOT of ENERGY ⚡️

Suez’s EFW facility has the potential to generate enough electricity to power 30.000 homes via waste incineration. However, the majority of energy goes back into the facility to keep the process going: fire is on 24/7 🔥

4. Separate food waste segregation at home is COMING SOON 🍔

Around 6.5 MILLION tonnes of food waste come from households every year. The shocking thing is: around 70% of that food waste IS STILL EDIBLE when people dispose of it (4.5 MILLION tonnes). Suez compared it to 90 Royal Albert Halls! 😱

5. Load contamination is a serious thing ☣️

Staff works hard every day to ensure skips contain the waste they have been designed for. When hazardous materials get in the same bin with recyclables, the WHOLE load becomes hazardous. This means that all the waste contained in that bin is very likely to lose its recycling potential. As it has been said today: “It is better losing some recycling in the general waste than contaminating an entire load of recycling and losing all of it” 😞 This is such a powerful sentence.

For those interested in knowing about waste disposal and recycling, I strongly recommend this experience. Event details can be found on Eventbrite and many waste sites are available for tour booking 🤩

Ah, forgot this: IT’S FREE 🤯

References:

i. (Photo) https://lnkd.in/eYyWCWmp

[beardedmrbean]

Swedish researchers say they have developed a new method of recycling batteries from electric vehicles that allows recovery of 100 percent of the aluminum and 98 percent of the lithium.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have presented the efficient way to recycle metals from spent batteries, and at the same time minimize the loss of valuable raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and manganese.

Furthermore, no expensive or harmful chemicals are required in the process because the researchers use oxalic acid—an organic acid that can be found in the plant kingdom.

“So far, no one has managed to find exactly the right conditions for separating this much lithium using oxalic acid, whilst also removing all the aluminum,” said Léa Rouquette, PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. “Since all batteries contain aluminum, we need to be able to remove it without losing the other metals.”

In the Chalmers battery recycling lab, Rouquette and research leader Martina Petranikova showed how the new method works—taking the pulverized components in the form of a finely ground black powder and dissolving it in a transparent liquid – oxalic acid.

Rouquette produces both the powder and the liquid in something reminiscent of a kitchen mixer. Although it looks as easy as brewing coffee, the exact procedure is a unique scientific breakthrough. By fine-tuning temperature, concentration and time, the researchers came up with a new recipe for using oxalic acid, an environmentally friendly ingredient that can be found in plants such as rhubarb and spinach.

“We need alternatives to inorganic chemicals. One of the biggest bottlenecks in today’s processes is removing residual materials like aluminum,” says Martina Petranikova, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers. “This is an innovative method that can offer the recycling industry new alternatives and help solve problems that hinder development.”

The aqueous-based recycling method is called hydrometallurgy. In traditional hydrometallurgy, all the metals in an EV battery cell are dissolved in an inorganic acid. Then, you remove the “impurities” such as aluminum and copper. Lastly, you can separately recover valuable metals such as cobalt, nickel, manganese and lithium. Even though the amount of residual aluminum and copper is small, it requires several purification steps and each step in this process can cause lithium loss.

With the new method, the researchers reverse the order and recover the lithium and aluminum first. Thus, they can reduce the waste of valuable metals needed to make new batteries.

The latter part of the process, in which the black mixture is filtered, is also reminiscent of brewing coffee. While aluminum and lithium end up in the liquid, the other metals are left in the “solids”. The next step in the process is to separate aluminum and lithium.

“Since the metals have very different properties, we don’t think it’ll be hard to separate them. Our method is a promising new route for battery recycling – a route that definitely warrants further exploration,” says Rouquette, who published her results in the journal Separation and Purification Technology.

COOL IDEA: Scientists Power Tesla on 9,400-mile Journey With Rolled-up Printed Solar Panels

Petranikova’s research group is involved in various collaborations with companies to develop electric car battery recycling and is a partner in major research and development projects, such as Volvo Cars’ and Northvolt’s Nybat project.

The research was funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, BASE Batteries Sweden, Vinnova.

[batteryrecyclingcompany]

Building a Sustainable Future: The Urgency of EV Battery Recycling and Value Recovery

As the world transitions toward electrified mobility, the demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is skyrocketing. By 2030, over 2 million metric tonnes of EV batteries will reach the end of their lifecycle annually. While this presents a significant challenge, it also offers an immense opportunity for sustainable innovation. At LOHUM, we are pioneering a circular economy for lithium-ion batteries, ensuring that valuable materials are recovered and reused to build a greener future.

The Rising Need for Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling

The global shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) has led to an unprecedented surge in LIB production. However, the environmental impact of mining virgin materials such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt cannot be ignored. Establishing new mines is time-consuming, expensive, and poses environmental risks, including water depletion and hazardous waste generation. Recycling of EV batteries in India is, therefore, not just a necessity—it is a strategic imperative.

While EVs still make up a relatively small portion of the automotive market, analysts predict that battery retirements will exceed half a million vehicles annually by the end of the decade. Without a robust lithium-ion battery value recovery framework, the industry risks losing valuable resources and exacerbating environmental concerns.

Closing the Loop: Advanced Battery Recycling Technologies

Traditional recycling methods such as pyrometallurgy recover only a fraction of valuable materials and generate high emissions. Instead, LOHUM leverages advanced hydrometallurgical and direct recycling processes, which retain cathode integrity and enhance material recovery rates. Research has shown that directly recycled cathodes not only match but can even outperform virgin cathode materials in terms of longevity and charge efficiency.

By implementing cutting-edge technology, LOHUM is setting new benchmarks for lithium-ion battery value recovery. Our approach minimizes environmental impact, reduces dependence on raw material imports, and ensures a consistent domestic supply of critical battery materials.

Future Insights: A Sustainable Roadmap

Policymakers worldwide are recognizing the need for stringent battery recycling regulations. California, for example, is working toward 100% EV battery recycling or reuse. India is also making strides in this direction, with initiatives aimed at enhancing the recycling of EV batteries in India.

Automation, AI-driven sorting mechanisms, and robotic disassembly are expected to further streamline LIB recycling, making it more efficient and economically viable. These advancements will play a pivotal role in transforming EV battery recycling into a trillion-dollar industry by 2040.

LOHUM: Leading the Charge in Battery Sustainability

At LOHUM, we are committed to creating a sustainable and circular battery ecosystem. Through innovative recycling technologies and second-life battery applications, we are reducing environmental impact, ensuring energy security, and paving the way for a more sustainable EV industry. By embracing a circular economy, we can make battery production cleaner, more efficient, and future-ready.

The transition to green mobility must be accompanied by responsible end-of-life battery management. With LOHUM at the forefront, India and the world can look forward to a cleaner, more resource-efficient energy future.

#SustainableEnergy #BatteryRecycling #EVInnovation #LOHUM

Visit us at: lithium-ion battery recycling value

Originally published on: Google Sites

[reasonsforhope]

[In February, 2023], a small warehouse in the English city of Nottingham received the crucial final components for a project that leverages the power of used EV batteries to create a new kind of circular economy.

Inside, city authorities have installed 40 two-way electric vehicle chargers that are connected to solar panels and a pioneering battery energy storage system, which will together power a number of on-site facilities and a fleet of 200 municipal vehicles while simultaneously helping to decarbonize the UK’s electrical grid.

Each day Nottingham will send a combination of solar-generated energy — and whatever is left in the vehicles after the day’s use — from its storage devices into the national grid.  The so-called “vehicle to grid” chargers deliver this energy just when it’s needed most, during peak evening demand, when people are home cooking, using hot water or watching TV. Later, the same chargers pull energy from the grid to recharge the vehicles in the wee hours of the night, when folks are sleeping and electricity is cheaper and plentiful.

“We are trying to create a virtual power station,” says Steve Cornes, Nottingham City Council’s Technical Lead. “The solar power and battery storage will help us operate independently and outside of peak times, making our system more resilient and reducing stress on the national grid. We could even make a profit.” ...

After around a decade, an EV battery no longer provides sufficient performance for car journeys. However, they still can retain up to 80 percent of their original capacity, and with this great remaining power comes great reusability.

“As the batteries degrade, they lose their usefulness for vehicles,” says Matthew Lumsden, chairman of Connected Energy. “But batteries can be used for so many other things, and to not do so results in waste and more mining of natural resources.”

The E-STOR hubs come in the form of 20-foot modular containers, each one packed with 24 repurposed EV batteries from Renault cars. Each hub can provide up to 300kW of power, enough to provide energy to dozens of homes. One study by Lancaster University, commissioned by Connected Energy, calculated that a second life battery system saved 450 tons of CO2 per MWh over its lifetime...

Battery repurposing and recycling is set to play a massive role over the coming years as the automobile industry attempts to decarbonize and the world more broadly attempts to fight waste. The production of EVs, which use lithium-ion batteries, is accelerating. Tesla, for example, is aiming to sell 20 million EVs per year by 2030 — more than 13 times the current level. In turn, 12 million tons of EV batteries could become available for reuse by 2030, according to one estimate.

“Over the next decade we are going to see this gigantic wave,” says Jessica Dunn, a senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Companies are recognizing this is a necessary industry. They need to ramp up infrastructure for recycling and reuse.”

-via Reasons to Be Cheerful, March 13, 2023

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Researchers develop polyurea membranes for lithium recovery from waste batteries

In a study published in the Journal of Membrane Science, a research group led by Prof. Wan Yinhua from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences propose a new zone-regulated interfacial polymerization strategy, aiming to fabricate acid- and alkali-resistant nanofiltration (NF) membranes with high separation selectivity for the lithium recovery from waste lithium batteries. The rapid expansion of the new energy industry has driven a surge in demand for lithium resources, highlighting the need for effective recycling of spent lithium batteries. Green and efficient nanofiltration (NF) technology is emerging as a key solution for sustainable lithium recovery. However, conventional polyamide NF membranes face challenges such as structural degradation under acidic and alkaline conditions, which compromises their separation performance.

Read more.

[phamds]

Electric vehicles are (probably) not the moving technology of the future. But it's definitely necessary. At least until more optimal energy source technology is developed.

When we saw the electric vehicle trend slowing down, business results declined. Public opinion is causing a lot of pressure on "electric vehicles"

In my opinion, electric vehicles (vehicles using electric battery technology) are only a small factor about the vehicle's "power supply". In addition to source energy technology, autonomous technology, and transmission technology... will determine the future of transportation.

Electric vehicles are (probably) not the moving technology of the future. In the near future, electric vehicles will not yet be my choice. But certainly, the electric vehicle trend is necessary. Partly like developing products to meet consumer trends, a new product is launched to stimulate consumption. Another part is this transitional change process to technological innovation. We are slowing down & waiting too long to change traffic technology/ innovate  vehicle technology.

There are many problems that electric vehicles need to solve. *Lithium Battery | Production - recycling - regeneration of environmental resources. The destruction of resources and the environment from battery production as well as waste battery treatment. *Battery | Charging time & replacement performance. *Energy | Certain competitive advantage. Obviously, the advantage of electric energy is only in countries with high gasoline prices and a certain amount of abundant electricity. Therefore, there will be many innovations and replacements.

Future transportation with self-driving technology, transmission technology... and sustainable energy sources. This story is not just about transportation but may change the overall transportation infrastructure and transportation methods.

That is like changes in people's lifestyles and urban living spaces. Townhouse and apartment types appear when population density is high, construction technology also helps accelerate the development of high-rise urban living models. Residence types will change and adapt to the needs of modern life.