Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Rice lab finds faster, cleaner way to extract lithium from battery waste
https://news.rice.edu/news/2024/rice-lab-finds-faster-cleaner-way-extract-lithium-battery-wasteSilvia Cernea Clark - Jul. 29, 2024
POSTED IN: RICE NEWS > Current News > 2024
Rice lab finds faster, cleaner way to extract lithium from battery waste
Microwave-based process boasts 50% recovery rate in 30 seconds
The “white gold” of clean energy, lithium is a key ingredient in batteries large and small, from those powering phones and laptops to grid-scale energy storage systems.
Though relatively abundant, the silvery-white metal could soon be in short supply due to a complex sourcing landscape impacted by the electric vehicle (EV) boom, net-zero goals and geopolitical factors. Valued at over $65 billion in 2023, the lithium-ion battery (LIB) global market is expected to grow by over 23% in the next eight years, likely heightening existing challenges in lithium supply.
What’s more, recovering lithium from spent batteries is environmentally taxing and highly inefficient ⎯ something a team of Rice University researchers led by Pulickel Ajayan is working to change.
In their latest study published in Advanced Functional Materials, the researchers describe a rapid, efficient and environmentally friendly method for selective lithium recovery using microwave radiation and a readily biodegradable solvent. Findings show the new process can retrieve as much as 50% of the lithium in spent LIB cathodes in as little as 30 seconds, overcoming a significant bottleneck in LIB recycling technology.
…
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202404570POSTED IN: RICE NEWS > Current News > 2024
Rice lab finds faster, cleaner way to extract lithium from battery waste
Microwave-based process boasts 50% recovery rate in 30 seconds
The “white gold” of clean energy, lithium is a key ingredient in batteries large and small, from those powering phones and laptops to grid-scale energy storage systems.
Though relatively abundant, the silvery-white metal could soon be in short supply due to a complex sourcing landscape impacted by the electric vehicle (EV) boom, net-zero goals and geopolitical factors. Valued at over $65 billion in 2023, the lithium-ion battery (LIB) global market is expected to grow by over 23% in the next eight years, likely heightening existing challenges in lithium supply.
What’s more, recovering lithium from spent batteries is environmentally taxing and highly inefficient ⎯ something a team of Rice University researchers led by Pulickel Ajayan is working to change.
In their latest study published in Advanced Functional Materials, the researchers describe a rapid, efficient and environmentally friendly method for selective lithium recovery using microwave radiation and a readily biodegradable solvent. Findings show the new process can retrieve as much as 50% of the lithium in spent LIB cathodes in as little as 30 seconds, overcoming a significant bottleneck in LIB recycling technology.
…