Air Option 1: AIR Technology Translation - Lithium Ion Battery Recycling: From Laboratory Research to Industrial Commercialization

该PFI：AIR技术翻译项目的重点是翻译基本的回收技术，以解决现有锂离子电池回收过程中的差距。与该市场中现有的湿法冶金或火法冶金回收技术相比，转化后的回收技术成本更低，效率更高。该项目通过从废旧锂离子电池中回收阴极材料并生产新的阴极材料来实现其目标，而不管锂离子电池阴极化学性质如何。此外，该项目将使用基于传感器的分选技术回收铜集电器，结合拟议的湿法冶金回收工艺，将为具有不同化学成分的锂离子电池提供闭环工业回收工艺。该合作伙伴关系使wTe公司在提取含铜材料的传感技术方面提供指导。 wTe还将协助解决营销、融资和商业化问题，以便将拟议的锂离子电池回收过程转化为具有竞争力的商业现实。随着消费者对混合动力汽车、电动汽车、便携式电子产品和电网系统的需求不断增加，锂离子电池的使用正在增加，并且预计在未来只会增加。由于最大的锂储量存在于政治不稳定或不合作的国家，对这些关键资源的需求具有国家战略重要性。此外，从环境的角度来看，锂离子电池中的电解质是易燃的。如果锂离子电池燃烧，有毒的HF可能会释放到环境中。针对锂离子电池的现有回收技术要么成本过高，要么无法适应不断变化的锂离子电池化学成分。 WPI和wTe之间的拟议合作将采用改进的锂离子提取冶金和基于传感器的分选技术相结合，将能够开发和商业化一种新型回收工艺，以解决这些限制，对关键材料日益增长的需求，帮助减轻环境风险，并确保国家战略利益。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a fundamental recycling technology to address gaps in the existing Li-ion battery recycling processes. The translated recycling technology demonstrates lower cost and higher efficiency when compared to existing hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical recycling techniques in this market space. The project accomplishes its objectives by recovering cathode materials from spent Li-ion batteries and producing new cathode materials regardless of the Li-ion battery cathode chemistry. In addition, the project will recover copper current collectors using a sensor-based sorting technology that, combined with the proposed hydrometallurgical recovery process, will result in a closed-loop industrial recycling process for Li-ion batteries with varying chemistries. The partnership engages wTe Corporation to provide guidance in sensing technologies to extract copper-bearing materials. wTe will also assist with addressing marketing, financing, and commercialization issues in order to translate the proposed Li-ion battery recycling process to a competitive commercial reality. With increasing consumer demand for hybrid cars, electrical cars, portable electronics, and grid systems, the usage of Li-ion batteries is increasing and is only projected to rise in the future. Since the largest Li reserves exist in politically unstable or uncooperative countries, demand for these critical resources are a matter of national strategic importance. Additionally, from an environmental perspective, the electrolyte in Li-ion batteries is flammable. If Li-ion batteries are burned, toxic HF could be released into the environment. Existing recycling techiques aimed at Li-ion batteries are either cost-prohibitive or unable to accommodate the ever-changing Li-ion battery chemistries. Employing a combination of improved Li-ion extractive metallurgy and sensor-based sorting technologies, the proposed collaboration between WPI and wTe will enable the development and commercialization of a novel recycling process that will address these limitations, the growing demand for critical materials, help mitigate environmental risks, and secure strategic national interests.