PFI-TT: Device to Recycle Scrap Cathodes in Lithium-Ion Battery Factories

PFI-TT：锂离子电池工厂废旧正极回收装置

• 批准号: 2314242
• 负责人: Siamak Farhad
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: University of Akron
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2025-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2314242&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; TT; Device; Recycle; Scrap

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to safely recycle materials from scrap cathodes generated in manufacturing facilities of lithium-ion batteries. This proposed innovation could lead to numerous socioeconomic benefits, such as creating new jobs, reducing the need for extraction of rare elements from mines, e.g. lithium, improving national security by decreasing reliance on imported battery materials, and decreasing the battery cost for electric vehicles and for renewable energy storage. In terms of broader educational outcomes, several graduate and undergraduate students will be directly trained in developing new technologies. Students will also learn about technology translation and entrepreneurship. Additionally, through summer camps offered in this project, STEM students will benefit from the leadership and entrepreneurship training, which will ultimately better prepare the STEM workforce to ultimately enhance and contribute to the U.S. technology-based economy. This project has the potential to enhance scientific and technological understanding of recycling energy materials while simultaneously contributing to a sustainable and environmentally friendly industry.The proposed project aims to address the unique challenges associated with the direct recycling of cathode active materials from lithium-ion battery manufacturing scrap, with the goal of returning the recycled materials to the supply chain. The project seeks to overcome two major technological hurdles. First, the project aims to achieve a formulation for solvent blends for different cathode active materials while considering solubility, toxicity, safety, recoverability, and cost constraints. Second, the project aims to demonstrate the performance of the scrap recycling machine, which will involve two discrete steps: "process and method identification" and "machine assembly, testing, and proof-of-concept demonstration." It is estimated that this machine can save 10-15% of the cathode material consumption of lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities, thereby reducing the cost of domestic lithium-ion battery manufacturing by 4-6%. Through this project, the research team will advance the fundamental knowledge of polymer solvent blending formulation and explore the effect of the blend on possible damages to cathode active materials, as well as the recoverability, safety, and environmental impacts of the solvent.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这种创新合作伙伴关系的更广泛的影响/商业潜力 - 技术翻译（PFI-TT）项目是从锂离子电池制造设施中生成的废料中安全回收材料。这项提出的创新可能会带来许多社会经济的好处，例如创造新的工作，从而减少了从矿山中提取稀有元素的需求，例如锂，通过减少对进口电池材料的依赖，并降低电动汽车的电池成本和可再生能源存储，从而改善了国家安全。在更广泛的教育成果方面，几位研究生和本科生将直接接受开发新技术的培训。学生还将了解技术翻译和企业家精神。此外，通过该项目提供的夏令营，STEM学生将受益于领导力和企业家精神培训，这最终将更好地为STEM劳动力做好准备，以最终增强并为美国基于技术的经济做出贡献。该项目有潜力增强对回收能源材料的科学和技术理解，同时促进可持续和环保的行业。拟议的项目旨在应对与直接回收Lithium-Ion电池生产的阴极活动材料相关的独特挑战废料，目的是将回收的材料返回到供应链中。该项目试图克服两个主要的技术障碍。首先，该项目旨在实现用于不同阴极活性材料的溶剂混合物的配方，同时考虑溶解性，毒性，安全性，可恢复性和成本限制。其次，该项目旨在展示废料回收机的性能，该机器将涉及两个离散的步骤：“过程和方法识别”和“机器组装，测试以及概念验证证明”。据估计，这台机器可以节省锂离子电池制造设施的阴极材料消耗的10-15％，从而将家用锂离子电池制造的成本降低了4-6％。通过该项目，研究团队将促进聚合物溶剂混合配方的基本知识，并探讨混合对阴极活动材料可能损坏的影响，以及溶剂的可恢复性，安全性和环境影响。 NSF的法定使命，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来评估值得支持。