According to foreign media reports, a scientific article recently published by Chalmers University of technology in Sweden points out that recycling electric vehicle batteries can be simpler, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. This article, published in the Journal WasteManagement, outlines the optimized recycling process. This research was conducted by some of the world's top experts in this field, representing an important step towards the future electric vehicle society.

With the popularization of electric vehicles, the recycling process and reuse of batteries, as well as the key raw materials used in the production process, have become an increasingly important research field. At present, there is a method that combines thermal pretreatment with hydrometallurgy to recover metal by liquid-phase chemical method. Some companies are developing relevant systems, but researchers at the University have found that the temperature and time parameters used by these companies in their processes vary greatly. In order to determine the best heat treatment and hydrometallurgy processes for the recovery of lithium-ion batteries, it is necessary to carry out comparative research.

The key finding of this new study is that the hydrometallurgical process can be carried out at room temperature. The researchers have never conducted such tests before. This process can reduce the impact on the environment and reduce the cost of recycling batteries, which has obvious advantages. Moreover, it is much faster than expected.

The researchers discussed how different steps (thermal pretreatment and hydrometallurgy) affect each other, and carefully compared the two different thermal pretreatment methods (incineration or pyrolysis). Pyrolysis does not require oxygen and is considered more environmentally friendly. The researchers determined that this method produces better results.

In order to make the recovery quantity of EV battery meet the future demand, the cost must be fundamentally reduced. Therefore, improving related processes is an important challenge. In order to reduce costs, it is necessary to reduce the steps in the recycling process. At present, researchers are carrying out several projects aiming at this goal.