EMIRI Tech Talk on Batteries for Energy Storage - End-of-life and recycling of Li-ion batteries

1. Li-ion battery recyclingLi-ion battery recycling
EMIRI Tech Talk, Brussels Feb. 23, 2017EMIRI Tech Talk, Brussels Feb. 23, 2017
Jan TytgatJan Tytgat
Director Government Affairs EU-BeneluxDirector Government Affairs EU-Benelux

2. 2Li-ion battery recycling
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• Producers = person/company putting batteries on the market in a certain Member State
• Producers are responsible for EoL management
• Industrial and automotive batteries: take back and recycling obligation
• Portable batteries: collection target and recycling obligation
• Recycling Efficiency
• > 50% of battery weight (excl. H2O) has to be recycled; emissions in air/water, waste
fractions and incinerated fractions ≠ recycling
• In situ use of battery materials (replacing chemicals, but not as source of energy) =
recycling
• Battery packs: outer casing doesn’t count as input/ouput battery material, but EV
batteries are not considered as ‘packs’ ‘external jacket’ is input/output material
Battery recycling
Legal framework (EU)

3. 3Li-ion battery recycling
Battery recycling concepts
• All recycling concepts are combinations of ‘pre-treatment’ (disassembling, shredding, pyrolysis)
and metallurgical processes (pyro or hydro)
• Optimum combination depends on battery chemistry and design, scale leverage effects,
processes, …
Early process steps Later process steps
Pre-treatment
Low investment cost; low
environmental burden; high
labour cost
High metal losses; high
labour cost; moderate
investment costs
Metallurgy
High investment; moderate
environmental burden; low
labour cost
Efficient metal recovery;
low labour cost; moderate
investment cost
Source: prof. B. Friedrich, RWTH

4. 4Li-ion battery recycling
• Dismantling
• Labour intensive: Manual semi-automated mechanical breaking
• Safety: State of Charge?
• Shredding
• Charged batteries + inflammable solvents = fire risk; inert atmosphere or cryogenic
shredding
• Alternatively: pyrolysis before shredding
• Pyrometallurgy
• Optimum conditions for maximum metal yields
• Hydrometallurgy:
• Robustness of the process to cope with variety of input materials
• General
• Quality of the recycled products: should meet industry standards
• Cost: complex material flow and (still) small quantities
Battery recycling concepts: challenges

5. Umicore
Battery Recycling

6. Recycling of Li-ion and NiMH batteries
Umicore Ultra High Temperature (UHT) technology
Innovative technology for metal recovery

7. Capacity: 7000 mt
• 250 mio mobile phone batteries (≈ 30 gr)
• 200,000 HEVs (≈ 35 kg)
• 35,000 EVs (≈ 200 kg)
Metals recovery: Co – Ni – Cu
Slag recovery:
• NiMH: rare earth concentrate (Ce, La, …)
• Li-Ion: use in construction + future
potential for recovery Li
Flue dust: controlled separation of F
Energy efficient: use energy of battery
(electrolyte, metals, plastics) to obtain high
temperature. Umicore Battery Recycling Technology
UHT Technology in Hoboken Belgium

8. Worldwide presence of UBR

9. • No breaking, no crushing…
• Safe for workers
• Safe for Environment
• Cost efficient
• For any size of batteries
• Small electronic appliances
• Industrial batteries
• HEV/ EV batteries
Feeding equipment / batteries handling
Recycling process

10. Intellectual property of Umicore
Products
Alloy
Slags
10
Recycling process
Specially designed furnace

11. • Specially designed gas treatment
• A unique Umicore design
• No VOC formation
• All dust removal
• Gas cleaning technology
• Low volume gas
• Low CO2 footprint
Recycling process
Gas cleaning

12. UmicoreUmicoreUmicoreUmicore
Excellence in Battery Materials and Battery RecyclingExcellence in Battery Materials and Battery RecyclingExcellence in Battery Materials and Battery RecyclingExcellence in Battery Materials and Battery Recycling
www.umicore.com
End of Life Management and Recycling of Rechargeable of Lithium Ion,
Lithium-Polymer and Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries :
An industrial award-wining Comprehensive Solution
We are
Committed to
“Close the Loop”