Air Option 1: AIR Technology Translation - Lithium Ion Battery Recycling: From Laboratory Research to Industrial Commercialization

Air方案1：AIR技术翻译——锂离子电池回收：从实验室研究到工业商业化

• 批准号: 1343439
• 负责人: Yan Wang
• 金额: $ 14.99万
• 依托单位: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-10-01 至 2016-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1343439&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Air; Option; AIR; Technology; Translation

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a fundamental recycling technology to address gaps in the existing Li-ion battery recycling processes. The translated recycling technology demonstrates lower cost and higher efficiency when compared to existing hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical recycling techniques in this market space. The project accomplishes its objectives by recovering cathode materials from spent Li-ion batteries and producing new cathode materials regardless of the Li-ion battery cathode chemistry. In addition, the project will recover copper current collectors using a sensor-based sorting technology that, combined with the proposed hydrometallurgical recovery process, will result in a closed-loop industrial recycling process for Li-ion batteries with varying chemistries. The partnership engages wTe Corporation to provide guidance in sensing technologies to extract copper-bearing materials. wTe will also assist with addressing marketing, financing, and commercialization issues in order to translate the proposed Li-ion battery recycling process to a competitive commercial reality. With increasing consumer demand for hybrid cars, electrical cars, portable electronics, and grid systems, the usage of Li-ion batteries is increasing and is only projected to rise in the future. Since the largest Li reserves exist in politically unstable or uncooperative countries, demand for these critical resources are a matter of national strategic importance. Additionally, from an environmental perspective, the electrolyte in Li-ion batteries is flammable. If Li-ion batteries are burned, toxic HF could be released into the environment. Existing recycling techiques aimed at Li-ion batteries are either cost-prohibitive or unable to accommodate the ever-changing Li-ion battery chemistries. Employing a combination of improved Li-ion extractive metallurgy and sensor-based sorting technologies, the proposed collaboration between WPI and wTe will enable the development and commercialization of a novel recycling process that will address these limitations, the growing demand for critical materials, help mitigate environmental risks, and secure strategic national interests.

该 PFI：AIR 技术翻译项目的重点是翻译基本回收技术，以解决现有锂离子电池回收流程中的差距。与该市场领域现有的湿法冶金或火法冶金回收技术相比，转化后的回收技术显示出更低的成本和更高的效率。该项目通过从废旧锂离子电池中回收正极材料并生产新的正极材料（无论锂离子电池正极化学成分如何）来实现其目标。此外，该项目将使用基于传感器的分选技术回收铜集电器，该技术与拟议的湿法冶金回收工艺相结合，将为具有不同化学成分的锂离子电池形成闭环工业回收工艺。此次合作邀请 wTe Corporation 为提取含铜材料的传感技术提供指导。 wTe 还将协助解决营销、融资和商业化问题，以便将拟议的锂离子电池回收工艺转化为具有竞争力的商业现实。随着消费者对混合动力汽车、电动汽车、便携式电子产品和电网系统的需求不断增加，锂离子电池的使用量不断增加，并且预计未来只会增加。由于最大的锂储备存在于政治不稳定或不合作的国家，因此对这些关键资源的需求具有国家战略重要性。此外，从环境角度来看，锂离子电池中的电解液是易燃的。如果锂离子电池燃烧，有毒的氟化氢可能会释放到环境中。现有的锂离子电池回收技术要么成本高昂，要么无法适应不断变化的锂离子电池化学成分。 WPI 和 wTe 之间拟议的合作将改进的锂离子提取冶金技术和基于传感器的分选技术相结合，将实现新型回收工艺的开发和商业化，该工艺将解决这些限制、对关键材料不断增长的需求，有助于缓解环境风险，保障国家战略利益。