As the formation process accounts for more than 50% of a LAB factory’s energy usage, manufacturers can substantially reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, whilst adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to their bottom line.

Is the tried and trusted lead-acid infrastructure the way forward for recycling lithium-ion EV batteries? In this special feature article, technical editor Dr Mike McDonagh looks at the challenges facing the commercial reuse of LIBs.

There are not many brands in the lead-acid battery industry as renowned and respected as Wirtz Manufacturing. The company, which began in a US depression-era garage, is today a multi-national corporation. With his brothers by his side, John W Wirtz II runs the family business. He spoke to Paul Crompton about the importance of following his own vision for the company while never forgetting its past.

Dr Steve Sloop, CEO of OnTo Technology, describes how direct recycling holds the key to the cost-effective re-purposing of cathodes by unlocking the potential of the original energy and materials used to first fabricate them. By repairing rather than breaking-up the metals used in cathode construction considerable energy and materials, that would otherwise be wasted, can be saved.