Researchers have developed a new battery recycling method that uses a cell’s own stored energy to process materials and recover key metals.
The technique involves triggering a controlled thermal runaway, using the internal heat generated to break down complex battery components, thereby reducing the need for external energy sources and certain chemicals.
The method initiates a self-heating reaction within spent lithium-ion cells.
“Direct thermal runaway heats the battery to promote cathode thermal reduction, thereby changing the thermodynamics and sluggish kinetics of element extraction,” said the researchers in a
“Elemental extraction from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is considered the most mature and inevitable recycling route.”
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