Lithium Battery Recycling: Lecture Summary

Introduction

• Questions surrounding the fate of lithium batteries in:
  • Cell phones
  • Tools
  • Electric vehicles (EVs)

Lithium Battery Recycling Process

• Location: Gilbert, Arizona
• Company: Lifecycle, North America's leading lithium-ion battery recycler
  • Specializes in large EV battery packs

Types of Batteries Recycled

• Cell phone batteries
• Laptop batteries
• Tool batteries
• Power banks
• Large electric car batteries

Recycling Process

1. Battery Collection

   • Batteries arrive in various states (intact, burned, recalled)

2. Conveyor & Shredder System

   • Batteries placed on a conveyor
   • Electric car batteries (thousands of pounds) go up conveyor
   • Funnel with proprietary liquid and industrial shredder
   • Safety: No need for manual disassembly

3. Material Separation

   • After shredding, battery materials become inert
   • Materials separated:
     • Plastics: Vibrated and collected in bags
     • Metals: Aluminum, steel, copper, gold, platinum, palladium

4. Extraction of Precious Metals

   • Filter Press: Extracts Cobalt, lithium, nickel
   • Resulting product known as "Black Mass"

Black Mass

• Contains precious elements
• Considered highly valuable and termed "the new gold"
• Vital for new battery production

Environmental Benefits

• Closed-loop water system (no water waste or air pollutants)
• Reduces emissions by 70% compared to traditional mining
• Lifecycle's facility processes up to 18,000 tons of battery material annually
• Black Mass shipped to Rochester Hub in New York for further processing

Consumer Guidance

• Recycling Accessibility:
  • 89% of US population within 10 miles of a recycling drop-off location
  • Locations include Home Depot, Lowe's, Staples, Office Max

Conclusion

• Misconception debunked: Lithium batteries are not thrown into landfills
• Lifecycle's Arizona facility illustrates sustainable recycling practices
• Encouragement to use recycling programs for old batteries and electronics

Additional Information

• Rochester Hub to be the largest source of recycled lithium carbonate in North America
• Call to action to subscribe and learn more about battery recycling

Note

• The above process prevents harmful environmental impacts and saves resources by recycling materials that are infinitely recyclable.