| From: Eric | 12/4/2024 4:19:31 PM | | | | | | Recycling
Battery recycling: How advanced materials science is changing the game
The future of battery recycling is promising and continuous advancements in materials science are driving the development of more efficient, sustainable processes.
By
Manikumar Uppala
Dec 03, 2024
Industry
Recycling
A scanning electron microscope image of a cobalt and nickel metal mixture powder extracted by Metastable Materials by recycling lithium ion batteries. | Image: Metastable Materials
The growth of electric vehicles and energy storage solutions has led to a rapid rise in the demand for batteries and, consequently, for efficient and sustainable battery recycling methods. Traditional recycling techniques have downsides such as efficiency and environmental drawbacks, even though they do the job. Advancements in materials science are changing the scenario and ushering in a new era of battery recycling, making it more environmentally friendly and economically viable.
Materials science studies the properties of solid materials and the behavior of their constituent materials, which affect said properties and structure. It can play a crucial role in innovating recycling methods and overcoming the limitations of traditional techniques. By understanding the properties of battery materials at a molecular level, new processes are being developed that enhance the recovery of metals from spent batteries.
Integrated carbothermal reduction is a promising recycling technique that uses the physical properties of battery materials to extract them from batteries. It generates no waste and is highly energy efficient compared to the currently prevalent methods.
The magnetic separation technique is another innovation being developed by researchers. This technique enhances the purity of recovered battery materials. Magnetic fields are used to separate battery materials from battery waste, maintaining their structural integrity and functionality.
Hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy were the prevalent methods for battery recycling. Pyrometallurgy is highly energy intensive and results in a lot of loss of battery materials as waste. Hydrometallurgy is energy intensive as well and uses a lot of chemicals, meaning there is generation of toxic waste. Hydrometallurgy, the more widely used recycling method, has seen some significant advancements in recent times. The process leeches out metals from battery waste using chemical solutions. Chemical solutions and processes are being innovated to selectively extract valuable metals including lithium, cobalt, and nickel with lower environmental impact. Solvent extraction techniques are also being refined to selectively bind specific metals to enhance the separation of metals from leaching solutions and enhance the purity level of recovered metals.
Advanced materials science in battery recycling enables the consideration of recycling as a method of “mining” batteries. It can solve gaps and pitfalls that are currently faced by battery recycling entities and can offer significant economic and environmental benefits. With increased efficiency and purity of recovered materials, the need for costly and unsustainable virgin mining is reduced.
Extracting a ton of lithium from spent devices requires about 28 tons of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, compared to 250 tons of ore or 750 tons of brine needed for the extraction of virgin material. It also takes several months to a few years to refine virgin lithium, along with the use of huge amounts of water.
Recycling consumes much fewer resources and takes less time, translating to lower environmental impact. Economically, there is a great case for recycling as recycled materials with high purity levels (and that purity is consistently getting higher thanks to innovations in materials science) are at par with mined materials in terms of price. Companies in North America are scaling their operations, demonstrating that advanced recycling technology is economically viable.
The future of battery recycling is promising and is being spurred by continuous advancements in materials science which are driving the development of more efficient and sustainable processes. As demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to rise, these innovations will play an important role in meeting the world’s energy needs while minimizing environmental impact, promoting circularity of resources as well as energy efficiency.
ess-news.com
About the author:
Manikumar Uppala is the co-founder and chief of industrial engineering at India-based lithium-ion recycling company Metastable Materials |
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| From: Savant | 12/7/2024 10:43:14 AM | | | | | | Burnt rice hull skyrockets battery power to 700 mAh, doubles storage capacity Rice hulls, often discarded as waste, can be used as a sustainable energy source.
It turns out that properly processed rice hull ash can yield a carbon form, which could outperform graphite in battery applications.
This “hard carbon” has a unique nanostructure that allows it to store more energy than graphite — the current standard in lithium-ion batteries.
Hard carbon from burned rice hull University of Michigan researchers made this discovery by producing hard carbon through the combustion of rice hull ash.
Rice ash boasts 700 mAh storage capacity, double battery power |
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| From: Eric | 12/10/2024 4:46:57 PM | | | | | | Tesla first in global battery energy storage system financial strength rankings
The latest financial stability ranking from Sinovoltaics keeps Tesla, Mustang Battery, Kung Long Batteries, Hyundai Electric and Eaton, in the top five spots in a report that includes 55 manufacturers.
December 10, 2024 Valerie Thompson
Image: Tesla
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From pv magazine Global
Sinovoltaics, a Hong Kong-based technical compliance and quality assurance services provider, has released its Q4 PV Energy Storage Manufacturer Ranking Report. Global in scope, it provides financial stability scores tracked over the past three years. It covers 55 battery energy storage suppliers, a figure that has remained unchanged since t he last edition published in July,
The report, which is available to download for free, recorded some shifts in the rankings, according to the analysts who highlighted improved scores for three Chinese manufacturers. Specifically, Sacred Sun (Shandong Sacred Sun Power Sources Co Ltd) moved from spot 15 to number 10, while CATL jumped from 26 to 21 and BYD climbed up to 28 from spot 30.
The top ten segment of the ranking lists U.S.-based Tesla at the top, followed by China’s Mustang Battery, Taiwan-based Kung Long Batteries, Hyundai Electric of Korea and Eaton, based in Ireland, China-based Sinexcel, Yuasa Battery and Sanyo, both based in Japan, U.S. based Enersys, and China’s Sacred Sun.
The latest edition covers December 2021 to September 2024 and is meant to provide insight into the changes in the scores over time, according to Sinovoltaics.
The financial stability analysis of the publicly traded battery producers uses the so-called Altmann Z-scores. It is a balance sheet-based model using publicly available financial information to track financial strength over the past three years. It assesses a company’s financial strength through a credit-strength test based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, solvency, and activity ratios, according to Sinovoltaics.
A score that is 1.1 or lower indicates a higher probability of bankruptcy within the next two years, while a higher score of 2.6 or greater. The reports include a chart that groups manufacturers into those with scores that put them in the safe zone, those with lower scores in the grey zone, and those with scores that indicate distress. In the safe zone this quarter there were 21 companies, compared to 20 in the last quarter.
pv-magazine-usa.com |
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| From: Eric | 12/11/2024 12:17:33 PM | | | | | | Supply chain
BNEF: Lithium-ion battery pack prices drop to record low of $115/kWh
Battery prices continue to tumble on the back of lower metal costs and increased scale, squeezing margins for manufacturers. Further price declines are expected over the next decade.
By
Marija Maisch
Dec 11, 2024
Industry
Manufacturing
Supply chain
Image: BNEF
Battery prices saw their biggest annual drop since 2017, with lithium-ion battery pack prices down by 20% from 2023 to a record low of $115/kWh, according to analysis by BloombergNEF (BNEF).
Factors driving the decline include cell manufacturing overcapacity, economies of scale, low metal and component prices, adoption of lower-cost lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, and a slowdown in electric vehicle sales growth.
Currently, overcapacity is rife, with 3.1 TWh of fully commissioned battery-cell manufacturing capacity globally. That is more than 2.5 times annual demand for lithium-ion batteries in 2024, according to BNEF.
“The price drop for battery cells this year was greater compared with that seen in battery metal prices, indicating that margins for battery manufacturers are being squeezed. Smaller manufacturers face particular pressure to lower cell prices to fight for market share,” said Evelina Stoikou, the head of BNEF’s battery technology team and lead author of the report.
The figures represent an average across different geographies and multiple application areas, including different types of electric vehicles, buses and stationary storage projects.
On a regional basis, average battery pack prices were lowest in China, at $94/kWh. Packs in the US and Europe were 31% and 48% higher, reflecting the relative immaturity of these markets, as well as higher production costs and lower volumes, BNEF finds.
The price differences for North America and Europe compared to China were higher than in other years. THis indicates that the drop in prices was more accentuated in China forcing many battery manufacturers to enter new markets, including energy storage, while also eyeing overseas markets willing to pay more for batteries.
Meanwhile, prices for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) came in at $97/kWh, crossing below the $100/kWh threshold for the first time. While EVs have reached price parity in China, they are still more expensive than comparable combustion cars in many markets but this is expected to change in the years ahead.
The industry has also benefitted from low raw material prices. BNEF expects metal prices to rise in the next few years, as geopolitical tensions, tariffs and low prices stall new mining and refining projects.
“One thing we’re watching is how new tariffs on finished battery products may lead to distortionary pricing dynamics and slow end-product demand. Regardless, higher adoption of LFP chemistries, continued market competition, improvements in technology, material processing and manufacturing will exert downward pressure on battery prices,” said Yayoi Sekine, head of energy storage at BNEF.
BNEF expects pack prices to decrease by $3/kWh in 2025, based on its near-term outlook. Looking ahead, further price drops are expected over the next decade on back of continued investment in R&D, manufacturing process improvements, and capacity expansion across the supply chain.
In addition, the analysts expect next-generation technologies, such as silicon and lithium metal anodes, solid-state electrolytes, new cathode material, and new cell-manufacturing processes, to play an important role in enabling further price reductions in the coming decade.
ess-news.com |
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| From: Eric | 12/13/2024 3:09:07 PM | | | | | | U.S. adds 3.8 GW of storage in Q3, residential battery storage hits all-time high
In the third quarter of 2024, the U.S. installed 3.8 GW of storage across all segments, 80% increase from Q3 2023.
December 13, 2024 Blathnaid O'Dea
BESS deployment is on the rise in Canada.
Image: Bureau of Land Management California via Flickr
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From ESS News
The United States’ residential energy storage market set an all-time quarterly growth record, with 346 MW of residential storage installed in the third quarter of 2024. This is a 63% increase over the previous quarter.
The growth was led by California, Arizona, and North Carolina. They installed 56%, 73%, and 100% more residential storage in quarter three than in quarter two respectively – despite residential battery supply shortages.
These figures come from the latest edition of the US Energy Storage Monitor. The report was released by Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association (ACP).
The United States’ grid-scale energy storage market has also set a new growth record, with 3.4 GW and 9.1 GWh of capacity deployed in the third quarter of 2024. These figures represent an 84% and 58% increase compared to last year’s statistics.
Image: Wood Mackenzie
Read the full article on pv magazine’s ESS News
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| From: Savant | 12/15/2024 11:39:50 PM | | | | | |
New type of battery could outlast EVs and still be used for grid energy storage
"It lasted more than 20,000 cycles before it hit the 80% capacity cutoff. That translates to driving a jaw-dropping 8 million kms. As part of the study, the researchers compared the new type of battery—which has only recently come to market—to a regular lithium-ion battery that lasted 2,400 cycles before it reached the 80% cutoff."
techxplore.com |
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