A new solution from Fortum, a Finnish clean-energy company, increases the amount of material in Li-ion batteries that can be recycled to more than 80%, according to the company. The current EU-mandated recycling rate is only 50% of the total weight of the battery. First the company makes the used batteries safe for mechanical treatment,… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "lithium metal"
DOE researchers identify cause of cathode degradation in nickel-rich materials
A team of scientists that includes researchers at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Lab and SLAC National Accelerator Lab has identified the causes of degradation in nickel-rich materials for lithium-ion battery cathodes, as well as possible remedies. Researchers at Brookhaven are part of a DOE-sponsored consortium called Battery500, a group that is working to triple the… Read more »
American Manganese begins pilot of battery recycling plant
American Manganese is developing a recycling process for Li-ion batteries, and processing partner Kemetco Research has begun processing a sample of cathode scrap material at the company’s pilot plant. The pilot plant will operate in five stages: Pre-treatment of cathode material Leach of active material Purification Recovery of base metals (e.g., nickel, cobalt, manganese) Lithium… Read more »
Researchers explore proton-hopping mechanism to improve EV batteries
Researchers at Oregon State University have shown that a chemical mechanism known as proton-hopping may provide a new method of energy storage for EVs and other high-power applications. “Coming up with Faradaic electrodes that afford batteries energy density and capacitors power with excellent cycle life has been a big challenge. So far, most of the… Read more »
KAIST research team develops stable, high-rate Li-S batteries
A research team from South Korean research university KAIST has developed stable, high-rate lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) by using hierarchically porous titanium nitride (h-TiN) as a sulfur host. In a paper in the journal Advanced Materials, the researchers report that h-TiN/S shows a reversible capacity of 557 mAh g-1 even after 1,000 cycles at 5 C rate with only… Read more »
Sepion receives CEC grant for composite battery membranes
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded $450,000 in grant funding to Sepion Technologies, an Emeryville, California company that’s developing a composite battery membrane designed to replace ceramic components. Sepion’s composite membranes provide high-flux and ion-selective transport, and the company says they can be processed in large-area formats at a fraction of the cost of ceramics. The project’s… Read more »
Next-Battery moves a step closer to commercialization
Shanghai-based EV maker Lvchi has partnered with Next-Battery to fast-track the commercial rollout of Next-Battery’s battery technology. At its Ukraine facility, Next-Battery is producing cathode prototypes with ultra-porous metal oxides and a lithium-infused nanostructured surface. The company’s proprietary process significantly increases the surface area of the metal oxides in the cathode, which allows dimension reduction… Read more »
Is the Toyota Camry Hybrid the last sedan?
The sedan (or saloon, as our British friends call it), which has been the standard form factor for passenger cars for a century, now seems to be a dying breed, as SUVs and crossovers take over the market. Consumers love the extra space and increased ride height of an SUV, and automakers love the higher… Read more »
Regenerative braking: A closer look at the methods and limits of regen
All motors are generators, the old saying goes, with the caveat that few types are equally good at both modes of operation, and some are downright awful as generators (a classic example being the single-phase shaded pole induction type, used in myriad small appliances the world over). Fortunately, both types of AC motor commonly used… Read more »
BP sees big opportunities for EVs and has recently been investing in EV-related companies
The oil and gas giant’s EV investment rationale is outlined in its new report, BP Technology Outlook. Demand for travel is central to modern society. Currently, transport accounts for 20% of global primary energy use. The global light-duty fleet of cars, vans, and light trucks is here to stay for the foreseeable future. In fact,… Read more »