Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts, US, will begin a 36-month project to develop lithium-ion battery recycling technology following a $2 million contract.
The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC)— a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR)— awarded the contract, which includes a 50% cost share, to fund the phase III project.
The program, which began in March, will focus on lowering the cost and improving the performance of recycled battery cathode materials relative to equivalent commercially sourced materials.
The Phase III program will focus on a higher nickel content material (versus Phase II) while also increasing the recycled content of the recycled material.
Enabled by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), USABC’s mission is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that enable widespread commercialisation in vehicle applications.
Steve Zimmer, executive director of USCAR, said: “This battery recycling contract with WPI is part of USABC’s broad battery technology research and development program.
“Programs like this are critical to advancing the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable broader scale vehicle electrification.”
