One of the difficulties with recycling is that the cost of the material itself is low, and the recycling process is not cheap. A new technology hopes to boost the recycling of lithium batteries by further reducing costs and using eco-friendly ingredients.

A new treatment technique can return used cathode material to its original state, further reducing recycling costs. Developed by nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego, the technology is more environmentally friendly than methods currently used. It uses greener raw materials, reduces energy consumption by 80 to 90 percent, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent.

Abacwaningi bachaza kabanzi ngomsebenzi wabo ephepheni elishicilelwe Nov. 12 ku-Joule.

Le nqubo ilungele ikakhulukazi ama-cathodes enziwe nge-lithium iron phosphate (LFP). Amabhethri e-LFP cathode ashibhile kunamanye amabhethri e-lithium ngoba awasebenzisi izinsimbi eziyigugu njenge-cobalt noma i-nickel. Amabhethri e-LFP nawo ahlala isikhathi eside futhi aphephe kakhudlwana. Zisetshenziswa kakhulu kumathuluzi kagesi, amabhasi kagesi kanye namagridi kagesi. I-Tesla Model 3 nayo isebenzisa amabhethri e-LFP.

“Uma kucatshangelwa lezi zinzuzo, amabhethri e-LFP azoba nenzuzo yokuncintisana ngaphezu kwamanye amabhethri e-lithium emakethe,” kusho uZheng Chen, uprofesa we-nanoengineering eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, eSan Diego.

Ingabe ikhona inkinga? “Akubizi ukuvuselela lawa mabhethri.” “Ibhekene nenkinga efanayo namapulasitiki – impahla ngokwayo ishibhile, kodwa indlela yokuyigaya kabusha ayishibhile,” kusho uChen.

Ubuchwepheshe obusha bokugaywa kabusha obuthuthukiswe u-Chen nethimba lakhe bunganciphisa lezi zindleko. Ubuchwepheshe busebenza emazingeni okushisa aphansi (60 kuya ku-80 degrees Celsius) kanye nokucindezela kwe-ambient, ngakho kudla ugesi omncane kunezinye izindlela. Futhi, amakhemikhali ewasebenzisayo, njenge-lithium, i-nitrogen, amanzi, ne-citric acid, ashibhile futhi amnene.

“Yonke inqubo yokuvuselela kabusha yenziwa ngaphansi kwezimo eziphephile kakhulu, ngakho-ke asidingi izinyathelo ezikhethekile zokuphepha noma imishini ekhethekile,” kusho uPan Xu, umbhali oholayo wocwaningo kanye nomcwaningi we-postdoctoral elebhu ka-Chen. Yingakho izindleko zethu zokugaywa kabusha kwebhethri ziphansi. ”

Okokuqala, abacwaningi basebenzise kabusha amabhethri e-LFP baze balahlekelwa ingxenye yomthamo wabo wokugcina. Base beyiqaqa ibhethri, baqoqa impushana yayo ye-cathode, base beyicwilisa esixukwini se-lithium salts ne-citric acid. Okulandelayo, bageza isixazululo ngamanzi futhi bavumele impushana yome ngaphambi kokuyishisa.

Abacwaningi basebenzise i-powder ukwenza ama-cathode amasha, ahlolwe kumaseli e-Button namaseli esikhwama. Ukusebenza kwayo kwe-electrochemical, ukwakheka kwamakhemikhali kanye nesakhiwo kubuyiselwa ngokuphelele esimweni sokuqala.

As the battery continues to be recycled, the cathode undergoes two important structural changes that reduce its performance. The first is the loss of lithium ions, which form voids in the cathode structure. Second, another structural change occurred when the iron and lithium ions in the crystal structure exchanged places. Once that happens, the ions can’t easily switch back, so the lithium ions get stuck and can’t cycle through the battery.

Indlela yokwelapha ehlongozwayo kulolu cwaningo iqala ngokugcwalisa i-lithium ion, ukuze i-iron ion kanye ne-lithium ion kushintshwe kalula kubuyele ezindaweni zazo zangempela, ngaleyo ndlela kubuyiselwe isakhiwo se-cathode. Isinyathelo sesibili ukusebenzisa i-citric acid, esebenza njenge-ejenti yokunciphisa ukunikela ngama-electron kwenye into. Idlulisela ama-electron kuma-ion ensimbi, inciphisa ukushaja kwawo okuhle. Lokhu kunciphisa i-electron repulsion futhi kuvimbela i-iron ions ukuthi ibuyele ezindaweni zayo zangempela esakhiweni se-crystal, kuyilapho ikhulula i-lithium ion emuva emjikelezweni.

Nakuba ukusetshenziswa kwamandla okuphelele kwenqubo yokugaywa kabusha kuphansi, abacwaningi bathi ucwaningo olwengeziwe luyadingeka mayelana nezinhlelo zokuqoqa, ukuthutha kanye nokulahla inqwaba yamabhethri.

“Inselelo elandelayo ukuthola ukuthi ungazisebenzisa kanjani lezi zinqubo zokuhlela.” “Lokhu kuzoletha ubuchwepheshe bethu bokuphinda busetshenziswe isinyathelo esisodwa eduze nesicelo sezimboni,” kusho u-Chen.