EAGER: CET: Biohydrometallurgic Recycling of Spent Li-ion Batteries

EAGER：CET：废旧锂离子电池的生物湿法冶金回收

• 批准号: 2342967
• 负责人: Dunwei Wang
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: Boston College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-03-01 至 2026-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2342967&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; CET; Biohydrometallurgic; Recycling; Spent

This EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award is made in response to Dear Colleague Letter 23-109, as part of the NSF-wide Clean Energy Technology initiative. Electrification has been a hallmark of modern society. However, due to the high demand of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and consumer products, the ever-increasing amount of waste is a critical concern. The development of green and cost-effective recycling of lithium-ion battery cathodes is of utmost importance, also to mitigate accessibility issues for critical minerals. This project investigates a new approach of utilizing microorganisms for the recovery of key battery cathode minerals (such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium). Known as biohydrometallurgy, the project’s battery recycling approach promises to address concerns associated with traditional recycling methods that rely on either energy-intensive high temperature methods or toxic/corrosive processing chemicals. Instead, the principal investigators rely on living organisms to accomplish the recovery of metals from spent batteries. This project builds on transformative recent successes in using microorganisms for such purpose but takes a fundamental step forward through the exploration of powering the functionality of the living organisms using materials already available in waste batteries in a green, self-sufficient fashion. The concept promises to transform how battery materials are reused. The research could contribute significantly to the goal of powering the society with energy from clean renewable sources. Educational efforts to broaden the impacts of the project include hosting high school students during the summer and reaching out to sports fans during Boston College’s game days. Moreover, complementary outreach activities are developed to educate the public about the implications of materials research for a sustainable future.The project will address how spent lithium-ion batteries (LIB) can be recycled using a biohydrometallurgy approach. This project responds to an emerging critical challenge due to the rapid accumulation of spent batteries as a result of recent LIB proliferation, and it could transform how spent batteries are recycled for the recovery of critical minerals. Prof. Wang, a material chemist, and Prof. Momeni, a microbiologist, examine Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans (Atf), a class of bacteria that uses inorganic compounds as a source of energy and survive in extremely acidic environments, as a potential medium for self-sustained LIB recycling. The key innovation is to utilize iron that is abundant in the scrap metal of the spent battery casing as the main food source to sustain the growth and reproduction of the bacteria, whose natural metabolism produces acidic solutions to leach key minerals, including Ni, Mn, and Co, from spent batteries. This project promises a recycling scheme that requires minimum transportation of toxic and/or corrosive chemicals.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

作为NSF范围范围内的清洁能源技术计划的一部分，这项早期概念授予探索性研究奖（急切）奖是为了响应Dear同事信函23-109。电力一直是现代社会的标志。但是，由于锂离子电池在电动汽车和消费产品中的需求量很高，因此不断增加的废物量是一个关键问题。锂离子电池阴极的绿色和具有成本效益的回收利用至关重要，这也是减轻关键矿物质的可及性问题。该项目调查了一种利用微生物的新方法来恢复关键的电池阴极矿物质（例如镍，钴，锰和锂）。该项目的电池回收方法被称为生物氢化铝，有望解决与传统的回收方法相关的问题，这些方法依赖于能源密集型高温方法或有毒/腐蚀性加工化学品。取而代之的是，主要的调查人员依靠活生物体来实现从支出电池中恢复金属。该项目基于用于这种目的的微生物的最新成功取得的成功，但通过探索使用已经以绿色，自给自足的方式使用废物电池中可用的材料来探索活生物体的功能。该概念有望改变电池材料的重复使用方式。这项研究可能会为通过清洁可再生能源提供能量为社会提供巨大贡献。扩大该项目影响的教育努力包括在夏季接待高中生，并在波士顿学院的比赛日期间与体育迷接触。此外，开发了完整的外展活动，以教育公众有关材料研究对可持续未来的影响。该项目将解决如何使用生物氢化胺方法回收支出锂离子电池（LIB）。由于最近的LIB扩散，该项目应对新出现的挑战，这是由于消费电池的迅速积累，并且可以改变支出电池的回收方式以恢复关键矿物质。材料化学家Wang教授和微生物学家Momeni教授研究了一种使用无机化合物作为能量来源并在极度酸性环境中生存的细菌酸硫代杆菌（ATF），作为一种自抑制的LIB再生循环。关键的创新是利用在支出电池套管的废金属中丰富的铁作为维持细菌的生长和繁殖的主要食物来源，该细菌的天然代谢产生了酸性解决方案，可以从支出电池中散步关键矿物质，包括Ni，Mn和Co，包括NI，MN和CO。该项目承诺需要一项回收计划，该计划需要最少的有毒和/或腐蚀性化学物质运输。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，认为通过评估被认为是珍贵的支持。