Current Developments and Challenges in the Recycling of Key Components of (Hybrid) Electric Vehicles

A flow-through method for the extraction of lithium-ion battery electrolytes with supercritical and liquid carbon dioxide under the addition of solvents has been developed and optimized to achieve quantitative extraction of the electrolyte from commercial 18 650 cells. A flow-through method for the extraction of lithium-ion battery electrolytes with supercritical and liquid carbon dioxide (sc and liq CO 2 ) under the addition of different solvents has been developed and optimized to achieve quantitative extraction of the electrolyte from commercial LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 (NMC)/graphite 18 650 cells. Furthermore, the time-dependence of the extraction procedure was investigated and demonstrated. The extracts were analyzed with gas and ion chromatography. Linear carbonates like dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), respectively, were better extracted with liq CO 2 , whereas the cyclic carbonate ethylene carbonate (EC) was recovered in higher amounts with sc CO 2 . The addition of solvents to the CO 2 resulted in improved recovery for all the ingredients but most effectively for LiPF 6 , which could not be obtained by extraction with CO 2 only. The best results were achieved by extracting for 30 minutes with liq CO 2 (25 °C, 60 bar) and 0.5 mL min −1 acetonitrile (ACN)/propylene carbonate (PC) in a mixture of three to one and an additional 20 minutes with liq CO 2 only, to yield (89.1 ± 3.4) wt% electrolyte in almost its original composition of DMC, EMC, EC (1 : 1 : 1) with 1.1 mol L −1 LiPF 6 . Therefore, the presented method can be relevant for the recycling of lithium ion battery electrolytes but has to be validated for up-scaled processes. Furthermore, the suitability of CO 2 extraction as a tool for post-mortem or aging investigations of LIB electrolytes could once more successfully be demonstrated due to the extraction of aging products like diethyl-2,5-dioxahexane dicarboxylate (DEDOHC) from a pouch cell, which was electrochemically aged for 1000 cycles at 1 C. In this context, extraction times and recovery rates were drastically improved compared to our previously reported static extraction experiments. Show more

ASR is in Europe classified as hazardous waste. Both the stringent landfill legislation and the objectives/legislation related to ELV treatment of various countries, will limit current landfilling practice and impose an increased efficiency of the recovery and recycling of ELVs. The present paper situates ASR within the ELV context. Primary recovery techniques recycle up to 75% of the ELV components; the remaining 25% is called ASR. Characteristics of ASR and possible upgrading by secondary recovery techniques are reviewed. The latter techniques can produce a fuel- or fillergrade ASR, however with limitations as discussed. A further reduction of ASR to be disposed of calls upon (co-)incineration or the use of thermo-chemical processes, such as pyrolysis or gasification. The application in waste-to-energy plants, in cement kilns or in metallurgical processes is possible, with attention to the possible environmental impact: research into these impacts is discussed in detail. Pyrolysis and gasification are emerging technologies: although the sole use of ASR is debatable, its mixing with other waste streams is gradually being applied in commercial processes. The environmental impacts of the processes are acceptable, but more supporting data are needed and the advantage over (co-)incineration remains to be proven. Show more