US battery industry organisation Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC) has entered into a joint research project with Argonne National Laboratory to ensure the lithium-ion batteries of tomorrow are designed for maximum recyclability.
Recycling best practices will be made available to battery manufacturers, OEMs and recyclers following the real-world manufacturing process analysis.
The RBC-funded partnership is the first industry-sponsored project with the Argonne-led ReCell Center, a lithium-ion battery research and development initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) earlier this year.
The partnership will use Argonne’s closed-loop recycling model, EverBatt, to generate information to help battery manufacturers design batteries with a circular economy in mind.
RBC is a coalition of battery manufacturers and recyclers, car and vehicle makers, fleet owners, service providers, and after-market retailers.
RBC executive director Steve Christensen (pictured) said: “By modelling the full lifecycle of a battery in advance, a manufacturer has the opportunity to compare and contrast different battery chemistries ‘in the lab,’ which reduces risks and production costs, and allows for the design of batteries that are environmentally responsible, from initial materials selection through end-of-life.
“Between the globally renowned scientists and top-of-the-line facilities available at Argonne, we are confident that our investment will lead to tangible, real-world solutions benefiting industry and consumers.”
Jeff Spangenberger, director of the ReCell Center, who leads the research team at Argonne said evaluating and understanding lifecycle impacts was increasingly important as batteries played a larger role in meeting daily power needs.
“By understanding the full lifecycle, batteries can be designed to help meet our energy needs, while also maximising recyclability, which helps conserve limited resources and ensures good product stewardship,” Spangenberger said.
The RCB stated, in the next two decades the projected global waste battery volume from electric vehicles alone would increase to more than seven million metric tons annually, with more than two million metric tons produced in the US alone.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with RBC working with Argonne to provide real-world manufacturing process input and help fill in any data gaps that may exist.
