The following is a brief discussion by a lithium-ion battery manufacturer on the current market situation of the waste lithium battery industry and lithium-ion battery recycling technology.
Current Status of the Waste Lithium Battery Industry
Lithium, widely used in power lithium-ion batteries, has a wide range of applications. Currently, the price of lithium carbonate is continuously rising in the market. The expanding demand, especially driven by new energy vehicles, coupled with the difficulty in increasing production capacity, are both impacting the price of lithium carbonate, prompting more and more companies to focus on the economic benefits of lithium-ion battery recycling. 2018 is considered the first year of a wave of power lithium battery scrapping, leading to a rapid increase in the scale of scrapped lithium-ion batteries. Used power lithium-ion batteries have become a significant growth point for battery recycling and reuse.
Lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles contain large amounts of high-value-added metals such as lithium, manganese, nickel, and cobalt, as well as lower-value-added metals such as iron and copper. Recycling these valuable metals from electric lithium batteries has significant economic value and can also reduce environmental pollution. The market size for the recycling and reuse of spent electric lithium batteries is projected to reach tens of billions of yuan in 2020.
Currently, the main entities involved in the recycling of power lithium batteries are small recycling workshops, professional recycling companies, and government recycling centers. A recycling system primarily based on power lithium battery manufacturers or electric vehicle companies has not yet emerged. At present, the recycling channels for power lithium-ion batteries are mainly small recycling workshops, with fewer professional recycling companies and government recycling centers, indicating a need for system restructuring. Most used power lithium batteries end up in unqualified refurbishment workshops with outdated equipment and processes. However, if these batteries were handed over to legally registered and tax-paying companies that obtained the necessary qualifications and adhered to national standards, they would inevitably lose price competitiveness. Therefore, improving policies to ensure the sustainable development of the battery recycling industry is crucial.
Lithium-ion battery recycling technology
I. High-temperature metallurgical method: Waste lithium-ion batteries that have undergone simple mechanical crushing are roasted at high temperature and then screened to obtain fine powder containing metals and metal oxides.
Characteristics of high-temperature metallurgical processes: The process is relatively simple and suitable for large-scale processing; however, the combustion of battery electrolytes and other components can easily cause air pollution.
II. Hydrometallurgy: After the waste batteries are crushed, they are selectively dissolved with appropriate chemical reagents to separate the metal elements in the leachate.
Characteristics of hydrometallurgical process: good process stability, suitable for small and medium-sized recycling of waste lithium-ion batteries; high cost, waste liquid requires further treatment.
III. Physical Dismantling: The battery components are crushed, sieved, magnetically separated, finely pulverized and classified to obtain high-content substances, which are then recycled in the next step.
The physical dismantling process is characterized by low processing efficiency and short processing time; the process is very environmentally friendly and will not cause secondary pollution to the environment.
In summary, while spent lithium-ion batteries pose significant environmental hazards, they also have high recycling value. Many of the metal elements they contain are relatively scarce in my country and heavily reliant on imports. Furthermore, for companies, the recycling of spent lithium batteries presents a business opportunity; through effective recycling and processing, battery manufacturers can significantly reduce production costs, making it a highly valuable economic activity.
