Selective Metal Biorecovery from Lithium Ion Batteries

锂离子电池的选择性金属生物回收

• 批准号: BB/X011720/1
• 负责人: Louise Horsfall
• 金额: $ 38.57万
• 依托单位: University of Edinburgh
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FX011720%2F1
• 关键词: Selective; Metal; Biorecovery; Lithium; Ion

The demand for critical metals is increasing at an exponential rate. In order to limit the environmental and societal impact of resource extraction and to meet net-zero targets for CO2 reduction, the recycling of metals from spent lithium ion batteries is vital. Recycling solutions need to be both adaptive and flexible to meet the needs of the competitive and constantly evolving cathode chemistry market. Our group has previously outlined the first steps for the separation and recovery of the most abundant and valuable metals present in a wide range of lithium ion battery (LIB) cathode chemistries. This being the recovery of Mn, Co and Ni from vehicular LIBs by the biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles from battery leachates. Our method supports the principles of green chemistry since the reactions take place in aqueous solutions using bacteria that are both renewable and scalable. Furthermore, they take place at temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius without the addition of hazardous solvents. The synthesis of specific metallic nanoparticles, as a result of this bacterial recycling process, provides an added incentive for the recycling industry and offers up novel materials for future green technology developments.The aim of this research proposal is to optimise the bioprocess by (i) adapting S. oneidensis MR-1, the bacterium responsible for the separation of Mn in the first step of our bioprocess, to ensure 100% Mn removal from LIB leachates (ii) developing a bioseparation process for Co and Ni using engineered strains of the bacterium Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20, and (iii) demonstrating scale up of the bioprocess to 5L scale. The nanoparticles produced will be characterised and their potential for remanufacture into LIB electrodes assessed, with life cycle analysis completed to determine the environmental impact of this engineered bioprocess.

对关键金属的需求正在呈指数级增长。为了限制资源开采对环境和社会的影响并实现二氧化碳减排的净零目标，回收废旧锂离子电池中的金属至关重要。回收解决方案需要具有适应性和灵活性，以满足竞争激烈且不断发展的阴极化学市场的需求。我们的团队之前概述了分离和回收各种锂离子电池 (LIB) 阴极化学物质中最丰富和最有价值的金属的第一步。这是通过电池浸出液中金属纳米粒子的生物合成从车用锂离子电池中回收锰、钴和镍。我们的方法支持绿色化学原理，因为反应是在水溶液中使用可再生和可扩展的细菌进行的。此外，它们在低于 30 摄氏度的温度下进行，且不添加有害溶剂。这种细菌回收过程的结果是合成特定的金属纳米颗粒，为回收行业提供了额外的动力，并为未来绿色技术的发展提供了新材料。本研究提案的目的是通过以下方式优化生物过程：采用 S. oneidensis MR-1（在我们生物工艺的第一步中负责分离锰的细菌），以确保从 LIB 渗滤液中 100% 去除锰 (ii) 使用工程技术开发钴和镍的生物分离工艺Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20 菌株，以及 (iii) 展示生物工艺规模扩大至 5L 规模。所产生的纳米粒子将被表征，并评估其再制造成 LIB 电极的潜力，并完成生命周期分析，以确定该工程生物过程对环境的影响。