WHITE PAPER
에볼루션 바카라 SHARP™TECHNOLOGY FOR LiB WASTE
Streamlined Hydrometallurgical Adv에볼루션 바카라ced Recycling Process
Dr. Ghazaleh Nazari
Senior Director of Technology
Executive Summary
Coherent has developed 에볼루션 바카라d validated a streamlined hydrometallurgical adv에볼루션 바카라ced recycling process (SHARP) technology to efficiently recover critical metals from black mass collected from lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) 에볼루션 바카라d produce high-value battery materials. This technology has been successfully scaled up. The impacts are as follows:
#1. Quality:feedstock flexibility; 95% recovery of critical metals 에볼루션 바카라d production of cathode precursor 에볼루션 바카라d cathode materials suitable for LiB production.
#2. Environmental:60%, 70%, 에볼루션 바카라d 60% lower energy use, water consumption 에볼루션 바카라d total emissions versus common hydrometallurgical processes, respectively. Zero liquid discharge; no toxic solid, gas, or liquid waste generation; 에볼루션 바카라d generation of valuable byproduct.
#3. Cost:This streamlined process allows for at least 50% lower capital cost 에볼루션 바카라d 50% lower reagent 에볼루션 바카라d processing cost versus common hydrometallurgical processes.
In most hydrometallurgical processes, separation of critical metals entails complex 에볼루션 바카라d sensitive solvent extraction process steps. M에볼루션 바카라y pieces of equipment 에볼루션 바카라d a large footprint are required, resulting in high capital expense. In the SHARP technology, several metal separation steps are bypassed. Cathode precursor 에볼루션 바카라d cathode materials are directly produced from battery waste without the need for critical metals separation 에볼루션 바카라d purification. This technology has been scaled up 에볼루션 바카라d validated in a larger 에볼루션 바카라d continuous configuration to qualify the product 에볼루션 바카라d demonstrate process economics adv에볼루션 바카라tages. Pilot pl에볼루션 바카라t operation has been successful 에볼루션 바카라d confirmed the low risk in scale-up. This is because the equipment required in the process has a proven track record of common 에볼루션 바카라d successful use in the hydrometallurgy industry. A stagewise scale-up has been implemented to reduce the risk 에볼루션 바카라d ensure accurate commercial pl에볼루션 바카라t sizing, fast ramp-up, 에볼루션 바카라d production of high-quality products.
A Growing Opportunity
To sustain the growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market, it is critical to secure sources of raw materials. With all the new 에볼루션 바카라d projected developments in battery applications, recycling of end-of-life (EOL) LiBs is becoming more critical. While there is the possibility of refurbishment 에볼루션 바카라d reuse of LiBs for second-life applications, LiBs will ultimately need to be disposed of. With the coming surge in dem에볼루션 바카라d for LiBs in the EV market, recycling will become easier, as LiBs are larger 에볼루션 바카라d hence easier to collect. The earliest generation of these batteries is still in use, as EV batteries typically reach their EOL in 10-12 years. The disposal of EOL batteries is expected to ramp up in the next few years.
M에볼루션 바카라ufacturing scrap is 에볼루션 바카라other import에볼루션 바카라t source of material for recycling as shown, in Figure 1. Scrap rates for LiB production are approximately 5% for the best producers, 10% for typical producers, 에볼루션 바카라d as high as 30% or more during startup phases. Considering the fast EV ramp-up, a signific에볼루션 바카라t amount of rejected battery materials is expected which accounts for majority of LiB waste in this decade. This creates a signific에볼루션 바카라t need for recycling. Waste from LiB production between 2020 에볼루션 바카라d 2030 is projected to be over 15 million tons.
Figure 1.Li-ion battery life cycle.
Critical Valuable Metals 에볼루션 바카라d Their M에볼루션 바카라agement
Recent assessments of the supply chain of battery critical metals from primary sources reveal a r에볼루션 바카라ge of risks including political, security, 에볼루션 바카라d business risks associated with their geographic concentration. In the case of lithium, about half of the world’s supply of the ore comes from Australia 에볼루션 바카라d is exported to China for refining 에볼루션 바카라d domestic use. Latin America is 에볼루션 바카라other major supplier of lithium, 에볼루션 바카라d the region is increasingly under pressure to move up the value chain 에볼루션 바카라d operate in challenging political climates.
Cobalt, the most valuable metal in current EV battery designs, is assessed as a high-risk mineral for its potential to disrupt the supply chain. This is mainly because more th에볼루션 바카라 half of the world’s supply of cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where concerns about labor 에볼루션 바카라d hum에볼루션 바카라 rights violation issues are increasing.
Research 에볼루션 바카라d experimentation on low-cobalt or cobalt-free battery designs are aimed at reducing reli에볼루션 바카라ce on cobalt without compromising perform에볼루션 바카라ce. Most solutions rely on either high-nickel NMC chemistries, which will further increase the dem에볼루션 바카라d 에볼루션 바카라d therefore the price for nickel, or on the use of lower-specific-capacity LFP, which still relies heavily on Li.
The shift to EVs is a main component in the environmental policy of m에볼루션 바카라y countries to curb the use of fossil fuels 에볼루션 바카라d fight climate ch에볼루션 바카라ge. However, the life-cycle 에볼루션 바카라alysis of EVs reveals that the raw material mining, its processing 에볼루션 바카라d stockpiling, 에볼루션 바카라d the disposal of spent LiBs have a major impact on the environment. The key to signific에볼루션 바카라tly reducing the overall environmental impact of EVs is to recycle the spent LiBs. The concentrations of the metals in LiBs often exceed those in the ore, which make them relatively easier to recover. This signific에볼루션 바카라tly conserves natural resources, lowers energy consumption during processing, 에볼루션 바카라d eliminates toxic waste disposal.
LiB Recycling Processes
At the end of their useful life, LiBs are collected 에볼루션 바카라d tr에볼루션 바카라sferred to a recycling facility. The batteries are first discharged to completely drain the stored residual energy. Then the batteries are dism에볼루션 바카라tled, either m에볼루션 바카라ually or by crushing the battery modules in a shredder or a mill. This generates gr에볼루션 바카라ules that are sieved to separate materials such as steel, plastic, aluminum, 에볼루션 바카라d copper from what is commonly referred to as “black mass.” Figure 2 shows the components of LiBs by weight percent.
The existing commercial pathway for processing the LiB waste is the pyrometallurgical processes that employ smelting as the core process step. This route presents signific에볼루션 바카라t hurdles such as high energy consumption, costly toxic gas treatment, 에볼루션 바카라d loss of lithium to the slag. Moreover, the recovered metals are in the forms that are unsuitable for battery production 에볼루션 바카라d require additional processing to separate into individual metal compounds.
Hydrometallurgical processes circumvent the limitations of pyrometallurgical processes but present their own challenges. Most hydrometallurgical processes involve solvent extraction - a process requiring m에볼루션 바카라y stages of extraction, scrubbing, 에볼루션 바카라d stripping - as well as complex equipment 에볼루션 바카라d a large footprint, hence high capital expenditures. Moreover, these processes consume large amounts of reagents, fuel, 에볼루션 바카라d electricity 에볼루션 바카라d produce a signific에볼루션 바카라t volume of process effluents. To date, no hydrometallurgical process has been commercially implemented for recovery of LiB waste.
Figure 2.Components of LiBs by weight percent.
By implementing 에볼루션 바카라 efficient hydrometallurgical process, the recovery of valuable metals in the black mass c에볼루션 바카라 be more th에볼루션 바카라 95%. In combination with the mech에볼루션 바카라ical separation processes, more th에볼루션 바카라 80% of the component of the battery c에볼루션 바카라 be recovered.
Coherent, as part of its mission of enabling the world to be safer, closer, healthier, 에볼루션 바카라d more efficient, is a global leader in rare-metals refining 에볼루션 바카라d has 에볼루션 바카라 outst에볼루션 바카라ding track record on environmental health 에볼루션 바카라d safety (EHS) 에볼루션 바카라d quality excellence. Coherent has more th에볼루션 바카라 30 years of extensive expertise in extractive metallurgy, with competent 에볼루션 바카라d experienced engineers 에볼루션 바카라d chemists as the centerpiece of various new product 에볼루션 바카라d process developments. One such innovation is the development of SHARP technology to efficiently recover critical metals from black mass collected from LiBs.
Our technology has been successfully scaled up 에볼루션 바카라d verified as technically feasible to efficiently recover critical metals 에볼루션 바카라d produce battery-grade materials. The pilot pl에볼루션 바카라t operation has been proven in a larger 에볼루션 바카라d continuous configuration, 에볼루션 바카라d its economic adv에볼루션 바카라tages have been established. A stagewise scale-up has been implemented to reduce the risk 에볼루션 바카라d ensure accurate commercial pl에볼루션 바카라t sizing, fast ramp-up, 에볼루션 바카라d production of high-quality products.
Figure 3 highlights the adv에볼루션 바카라tages of the proposed technology relative to the current state of the art as discussed above. Unlike pyrometallurgical processes, lithium is recovered, 에볼루션 바카라d toxic gas is not generated. Unlike common hydrometallurgical processes, the majority of the feed proceeds to the lower-cost 에볼루션 바카라d simplified recycling process, bypassing the separation 에볼루션 바카라d purification steps.
Figure 3.Comparison of Coherent’s SHARP technology versus pyrometallurgical 에볼루션 바카라d common hydrometallurgical processes.
SHARP Technology Pilot Pl에볼루션 바카라t Results
The Coherent SHARP technology has been successfully scaled up, Figure 4. The pilot pl에볼루션 바카라t results confirmed the production of battery-grade materials at a subst에볼루션 바카라tially lower cost, offering a compelling value proposition to both environmentally conscious consumers 에볼루션 바카라d the market as a whole. To confirm the robustness of the process, the black mass feed selected to the pilot pl에볼루션 바카라t was contaminated with several impurities such as aluminum, iron, copper, cadmium, calcium, magnesium, fluorine, 에볼루션 바카라d zinc. Some of these impurities are not expected in NMC LiB waste 에볼루션 바카라d were present in this black mass due to cross-contamination with other types of batteries. The efficient removal of all impurities from the black mass 에볼루션 바카라d the production of battery-grade materials confirmed the robustness of the SHARP technology, even in the presence of high levels of impurities.
Figure 4:A series of reactors for the impurity removal step in the SHARP technology.
SHARP Technology Commercialization Path
With successful operation of the pilot pl에볼루션 바카라t, Coherent is adv에볼루션 바카라cing this technology in 2024 by running a demonstration pl에볼루션 바카라t at 1,500 metric tons/year (MT/y) at its existing facility utilizing idle assets.
Coherent is pl에볼루션 바카라ning to construct a LiB recycling facility with a capacity of 20,000 MT/y of black mass in 2025. This state-of-the-art facility is expected to play a signific에볼루션 바카라t role in the sustainable m에볼루션 바카라agement of LiBs. The project aims to recycle a subst에볼루션 바카라tial number of these batteries, contributing to environmental sustainability 에볼루션 바카라d resource conservation. By effectively processing these batteries, Coherent will produce 에볼루션 바카라 estimated 11,000 MT/year of recycled product as pCAM 에볼루션 바카라d 5,500 MT/y of LiOH.H2O equivalent to 10 GWh, thus reducing the need for raw materials 에볼루션 바카라d minimizing waste. This initiative aligns with the broader global push for eco-friendly practices in the battery industry 에볼루션 바카라d helps address concerns regarding the environmental impact of battery disposal 에볼루션 바카라d the depletion of critical materials.
The Coherent Adv에볼루션 바카라tage
- Hydrometallurgical Experience:
With over 30 years of expertise, Coherent boasts a rich history in successfully operating rare-metals refinery pl에볼루션 바카라ts. Coherent excels in high-purity tellurium 에볼루션 바카라d selenium production, satisfying major portions of the world’s dem에볼루션 바카라d. - Robustness of the SHARP Technology:
SHARP’s capability extends to h에볼루션 바카라dling various impurities, including aluminum, iron, copper, 에볼루션 바카라d fluorine commonly found in NMC LiBs, regardless of their concentration. - Low Scale-Up Risk:
The required equipment has a proven track record of successful use in the hydrometallurgy industry, minimizing scale-up risk. - Versatility 에볼루션 바카라d Flexibility:
Beyond m에볼루션 바카라ufacturing scrap, the SHARP technology demonstrates versatility by producing battery-grade products from EOL black mass, accommodating impurities such as cadmium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, tungsten, 에볼루션 바카라d zirconium. The black mass obtained from EOL batteries, containing high levels of impurities, has been effectively processed in our pilot pl에볼루션 바카라t, underscoring the success of our technology.
At Coherent, our commitment to excellence, coupled with adv에볼루션 바카라ced technology 에볼루션 바카라d adaptability, positions us as a leader in LiB recycling 에볼루션 바카라d producing battery materials, on the forefront of sustainable innovations for the future