Selective Metal Biorecovery from Lithium Ion Batteries

对关键金属的需求正以指数速度增长。为了限制资源开采对环境和社会的影响，并实现二氧化碳减排的净零目标，回收废旧锂离子电池中的金属至关重要。回收解决方案需要适应性和灵活性，以满足竞争激烈和不断发展的阴极化学市场的需求。我们的团队之前已经概述了分离和回收各种锂离子电池（LIB）阴极化学物质中最丰富和最有价值的金属的第一步。这是通过从电池沥滤液中生物合成金属纳米颗粒从车辆LIB中回收Mn、Co和Ni。我们的方法支持绿色化学的原理，因为反应在水溶液中使用可再生和可扩展的细菌进行。此外，它们在低于30摄氏度的温度下进行，而不添加有害溶剂。作为这种细菌回收过程的结果，特定金属纳米颗粒的合成为回收工业提供了额外的激励，并为未来的绿色技术发展提供了新材料。oneidensis MR-1，负责在我们的生物过程的第一步中分离Mn的细菌，以确保从LIB浸出液中100%去除Mn，（ii）使用阿拉斯加脱硫弧菌G20的工程菌株开发Co和Ni的生物分离过程，和（iii）证明生物过程放大到5L规模。将对所产生的纳米颗粒进行表征，并评估其再制造成LIB电极的潜力，并完成生命周期分析，以确定这种工程生物过程对环境的影响。

The demand for critical metals is increasing at an exponential rate. In order to limit the environmental and societal impact of resource extraction and to meet net-zero targets for CO2 reduction, the recycling of metals from spent lithium ion batteries is vital. Recycling solutions need to be both adaptive and flexible to meet the needs of the competitive and constantly evolving cathode chemistry market. Our group has previously outlined the first steps for the separation and recovery of the most abundant and valuable metals present in a wide range of lithium ion battery (LIB) cathode chemistries. This being the recovery of Mn, Co and Ni from vehicular LIBs by the biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles from battery leachates. Our method supports the principles of green chemistry since the reactions take place in aqueous solutions using bacteria that are both renewable and scalable. Furthermore, they take place at temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius without the addition of hazardous solvents. The synthesis of specific metallic nanoparticles, as a result of this bacterial recycling process, provides an added incentive for the recycling industry and offers up novel materials for future green technology developments.The aim of this research proposal is to optimise the bioprocess by (i) adapting S. oneidensis MR-1, the bacterium responsible for the separation of Mn in the first step of our bioprocess, to ensure 100% Mn removal from LIB leachates (ii) developing a bioseparation process for Co and Ni using engineered strains of the bacterium Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20, and (iii) demonstrating scale up of the bioprocess to 5L scale. The nanoparticles produced will be characterised and their potential for remanufacture into LIB electrodes assessed, with life cycle analysis completed to determine the environmental impact of this engineered bioprocess.