The research team used two mining techniques to separate the components inside the lithium battery: the casing, the metal foil material, and the anode and cathode coatings.
The biggest advantages of this process are its low cost and energy efficiency. The recycled materials used to remanufacture batteries are of the same high quality as the original materials, but at a lower price.
The team saw an opportunity to leverage existing technology to address emerging challenges (scarcity, insufficient supply, and high prices of battery materials). They employed standard gravity separation to separate copper from aluminum, then used froth flotation to reduce key battery materials, including graphite, lithium, and cobalt. This type of mining technology is currently the cheapest available, and the necessary infrastructure is already in place.
To further advance this research, funding was provided by the Innovation Hub of Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) at Michigan Technological University.
In addition, the project received a grant of $15,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
