Useless EV Batteries Are Hoarding a Stunning Quantity of Helpful Lithium

The lithium batteries we deem unfit to be used in electrical automobiles would possibly nonetheless comprise copious quantities of usable, pure lithium we might retrieve and reuse—a probably constant, bountiful provide we’re simply not attempting laborious sufficient to faucet into, a brand new examine suggests.

In a examine revealed August 14 within the Journal of Environmental Management, researchers at Edith Cowan College (ECU) in Australia argue that tapping into the leftover lithium in used batteries might gasoline a practical, sustainable different to lithium mining. Shockingly, the lithium batteries that find yourself in landfills retain practically 80% of their lithium capability—nonetheless very a lot usable. Other than the clear environmental benefit, recycling lithium batteries might additionally convey a wide selection of socioeconomic advantages, the paper states. 

The paper, a complete overview of the worldwide lithium provide chain, evaluates the efficacy of lithium extraction from mining and recycling. Mining stays the dominant technique for lithium restoration, however its environmental influence alone must be cause sufficient to ultimately transfer away from it, the researchers defined in a statement. Recycling, in contrast, might supply much more bang for our buck. First, recycling processes produce round 61% much less carbon than mining whereas utilizing 83% much less power and 79% much less water. 

“By recycling these batteries, you’ll be able to entry not solely the remaining lithium—which is already purified to close 99 p.c—however you can even retrieve the nickel and the cobalt from these batteries,” added Asad Ali, examine lead creator and a postdoctoral scholar at ECU, within the assertion. Ideally, such recycling services wouldn’t be as demanding on the pure atmosphere as mining, he mentioned.

Once more, we now have too many idle batteries mendacity round, the researchers famous—and that offer is simply anticipated to develop. The worldwide lithium-ion battery market is predicted to develop at an annual price of 13%, and we’re projected to devour roughly 1,600 kilotons of lithium by 2026. In Australia alone—the place the researchers are primarily based—a government report estimates that lithium battery waste might quantity to 137,000 tons every year. 

With the suitable investments in infrastructure, tapping into this useful resource might create a brand new, worthwhile area of interest within the power sector, mentioned examine co-author Sadia Afrin, additionally a postdoctoral scholar at ECU. However it’s an space that must develop alongside the technological developments of industries that depend on lithium, she added.