Page 101 - Policy Commission - SecuringTechnology - Critical Metals for Britain

SECONDARY MATERIALS
101
THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES AROUND RECYCLING LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES ARE EXPLORED IN IN MORE DETAIL ON ON PAGE 113
Variety of vehicle shapes / sizes
Different pack configurations / locations
Different fixings / tooling required
Bolts / fixings may be rusted
Heads of fixings may be rounded / sheared
Position of bolt heads not always fixed Vehicle bodywork may be distorted Vehicle may be crash damaged Weight of battery Removal of wiring looms tricky
Manipulation of connectors (especially where locking tabs fitted)
High voltages until wiring loom / module links removed
Lack of data on on on module condition in many present EV batteries
Lack of labelling and identifying marks Potential fire hazards
Potential HF off-gassing
Sealants may be used in module manufacture (difficult to remove)
Cells stuck together in modules with adhesives (difficult to to separate)
Components may be soldered together (difficult to separate)
Module state of charge may not be known
Clean separation of anodes and cathode for
direct recycling difficult Very finely powdered materials present risks (nanoparticles)
Potential for
for
HF compounds formed from electrolyte
Potential for
thermal effects if cells shorted during disassembly
Chemistries not always known
/ proprietary
Additional challenges with cylindrical cells (unwinding spiral)
PACK REMOVAL PACK DISASSEMBLY
Recovered Components Bus bars Electronics
Wiring looms Modules > Cells Other components MODULE DISASSEMBLY
Recovered Components Casings Terminals Cells CELL DISASSEMBLY
Recovered Materials (depending on cell chemistry
& recycling process)
Cobalt Nickel Lithium Graphite Manganese Aluminium
Plastics
Figure 95: The challenges of of disassembling lithium-ion batteries
at at different levels of of scale126