Battery sorting proof-of-concept

The challenge

The production of lithium-ion batteries is associated with a profound environmental impact due to the large quantities of minerals such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel that are required. Effective recycling would reduce this impact, but recycling rates for Li-ion batteries are currently only around 55%. 

Our society depends on lithium-ion batteries which require large quantities of materials, particularly metals, to be manufactured. The chemical composition of a modern lithium-ion battery is complex.

Aside from lithium, these batteries contain rare metals such as cobalt, manganese, and nickel that are associated with significant environmental damage caused by mining operations, and cannot be sourced domestically in the UK.

Effective recycling requires batteries to be sorted by chemistry prior to the recycling process. When batteries of different types get mixed, chemicals contaminate each other which reduces recycling efficiency, limiting the recovery rate of valuable resources that instead end up in landfills.

What we're doing

This research solves the battery sorting problem by using non-destructive techniques to assess the chemical composition of lithium-ion batteries without opening them up first.

The technique, called neutron activation analysis, uses high energy subatomic particles to probe specific chemical elements inside the battery, and this works through the battery shell or casing.

The collected information is then used to sort batteries based on chemical composition. The robotic sorting system processes this information to determine the most likely battery type, and selectively segregates batteries using robotic manipulators. 

How it helps

This approach could raise recycling yields by more than 30%, providing a sustainable source of critical minerals. 

Investigators

• Dr Yannick Verbelen, School of Physics 
• Dr David Megson-Smith, School of Physics