Japanese researchers have developed a technique that promises to revolutionize the recycling of lithium-ion batteries, increasing their useful life to a staggering 80% of their original capacity after they have been considered completely spent.
Let us remember that the demand for these devices that store energy is booming due to its wide application in electronics and electric vehiclesso the search for efficient and sustainable methods to regenerate spent batteries has gained crucial importance.
In fact, this advance published in the scientific journal Joule represents a milestone in the fight against environmental and economic problems associated with premature battery disposal.
The team led by Nobuhiro Ogihara, from the Central R&D Laboratories of Toyota Inc., was in charge of developing this process for battery regeneration. by injecting a recovery reagent.
It is a chemical treatment based on lithium naphthalenide, a substance that, after being tested in different compositions and concentrations, demonstrated to be able to restore the storage capacity of batteries.
“The effectiveness of the system was verified not only with small batteries for laboratory use, but also with large batteries for automotive use”Ogihara stated, highlighting the versatility of the developed technique.
This method promises not only to recover the capacity of the batteries without deterioration throughout the cycles, but also represent the shortest route for battery regeneration, offering new options for circular battery systems.
This proposal to regenerate batteries by injecting recovered reagents that directly address the loss of carrier ions, seeks avoid going through conventional recycling and remanufacturing procedureswhich considerably reduces energy consumption and environmental impact.
Traditionally, Li-ion battery recycling involves disassembling and separating spent batteries, followed by material recovery through hydro or pyrometallurgical methods, to finally resynthesize the electrode materials. In contrast, the new proposal simplifies these steps by recovering the batteries through a single process.
The research also highlights the use of lithium arenides (Li-arenides) as recovery reagents, whose reaction potential is adjusted through the effect of the solvation dielectric constant, preventing degradation of critical battery components such as the graphite anode.
Let us remember that one of the critical aspects of the deterioration of capacity in long-term Li-ion batteries is the loss of carrier ions, often exacerbated by extreme temperature conditions and irreversible consumption of Li+ ions due to the formation of a solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) at the anode.
“Who knows if in ten years our cell phones will have batteries of this type that work to absolute perfection,” they comment from Toyota, reflecting cautious optimism about the long-term impact of this research. ANDThe team has already applied for a patent for their innovative method and has received support from both private companies and public entities, including the United States Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.
However, scientists recognize limitations in their technique, which is not applicable to batteries with damage due to structural deficiencies. This suggests that this is not a universal solution and that the compositions and concentrations of the reagents used should continue to be further explored to enable a more complete recovery.
In parallel to this finding, a group of researchers from Cornell University discovered the potential of indium, a soft metalto create batteries that do not compromise storage capacity for charging speed.
Although it presents challenges due to its weight, the Cornell team continues looking for lighter alternatives that offer similar featureswhich could mean a complementary advance in the development of more efficient and long-lasting battery technologies.
