Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are on track for a major sustainability upgrade, potentially revolutionizing the industry’s environmental impact and supply chain. According to a recent report from The Economist, most EV batteries could soon be made by recycling old ones, marking a significant shift towards a circular economy in the automotive sector.

Demand Surge Drives Innovation

Despite a slowdown in EV sales in some countries, global battery demand jumped by about 40% last year. This growth is expected to continue, with lithium demand projected to exceed 2.4m tonnes by 2030 – more than double current levels. This surge is driving innovation in battery production and recycling technologies.

The Lithium Conundrum

Lithium, the vital ingredient in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that dominate the EV market, is at the center of this transformation. While the world’s appetite for lithium is growing rapidly, the question of where all this lithium will come from is a thorny one.

China’s Dominance Sparks Concerns

While 70% of lithium carbonate reserves are in Argentina, Australia, and Chile, China dominates the processing of this and other important battery materials. China also commands the processing of manganese, cobalt, and nearly all battery-grade graphite. This concentration has raised supply chain vulnerability concerns, prompting European and North American legislators and carmakers to seek local battery supplies.

Recycling Revolution

Recent breakthroughs in recycling tech could be a game-changer. Within a decade, most raw materials for new batteries could come from recycling old ones. This shift could peak mining for battery materials by the mid-2030s, according to RMI, an American think-tank. This development could significantly reduce the environmental impact of EV production.

The Mechanics of Li-ion Batteries

To understand the recycling challenge, it’s crucial to grasp how Li-ion batteries work. Lithium, manganese, and cobalt are widely used to make electrodes called cathodes, the most expensive part of a Li-ion battery. During charging and discharging, ions migrate between the cathode and anode (made from graphite) through an electrolyte.

Current Recycling Challenges

Current recycling methods face several challenges:

Labor-intensive processes
High energy consumption
Environmental harm

But innovation is tackling these issues head-on.

Innovative Recycling Methods

Two main processes are currently used for battery recycling:

Pyrometallurgy: Roasts batteries at temperatures up to 1,600°C to extract metals like nickel and cobalt. However, this method is not effective for lithium extraction.
Hydrometallurgy: Crushes batteries and treats the resulting “black mass” with harsh chemicals known as lixiviants. This process can recover lithium but poses environmental risks due to the chemicals used.

Microwave Magic

Researchers at Rice University in Houston have found a promising solution: microwaving batteries. This method leverages the fact that choline chloride, a deep eutectic solvent (DES) ingredient used to leach out lithium, is an excellent absorber of microwaves.

In a recent study published in Advanced Functional Materials, the Rice team reported that their microwave method could recover 50% of lithium from a spent cathode in just 30 seconds, and 87% in 15 minutes. This is a massive improvement over conventional methods, which can take up to 12 hours to achieve similar results.

Graphite: The Next Frontier

Graphite, which makes up about half a battery’s volume, presents a unique recycling challenge. As graphite must be purified to above 99.95% to make anodes, recovering it from contaminated battery waste is extremely difficult.

Talga, an Australian materials firm, is tackling this problem. They’ve recently signed deals with two recyclers, Altilium (British) and Aurubis (German), to purify graphite recovered from scrap and end-of-life batteries. While the details of their chemical purification process are under wraps pending patents, it’s known to be based on a technique used at Europe’s first anode-production facility in northern Sweden.

The Promise of a Circular Supply Chain

As recycling technology continues to evolve, a circular supply chain for EV batteries may emerge. This development could allow for more localized battery production, reducing supply-chain vulnerabilities and the overall lifetime carbon emissions involved in battery production.

EVXL’s Take

This recycling revolution could be a major win for the EV industry, addressing both environmental concerns and supply chain vulnerabilities. As we’ve seen with companies like Tesla pushing the boundaries of battery technology, this shift towards circular production could further accelerate EV adoption and sustainability.

Moreover, these advancements align with the efforts of other manufacturers like BMW, who have been investing in sustainable production methods. The potential for localized battery production could also benefit companies like GM, reducing their reliance on foreign supply chains.

It’s an exciting development that could help EVs truly live up to their green promise, potentially silencing critics who point to battery production as a weak link in EV sustainability. As the industry moves towards this more circular model, we may see EVs become even more environmentally friendly throughout their entire lifecycle.

What do you think about this potential shift in EV battery production? Could this be the breakthrough that propels EVs into a truly sustainable future? Share your thoughts in the comments below.