Abstract
The rapid shift toward producing and using clean energy to replace fossil fuels has increased the need for batteries. Batteries have become an integral part in energy storage applications due to their increased demand in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and grid scale storage. As the demand and usage of batteries increase, it is desired to study their recyclability to reduce the environmental impact. Among the available batteries, lithium ion (Li-ion) and lead acid (LA) batteries have the dominant market share. This review paper focuses on the need to adopt a circular economy with effective recycling of batteries. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art processes to recycle batteries and challenges faced by companies to recycle Li-ion and LA batteries are discussed. It is found that the recyclability of Li-ion batteries is < 1% and the process is still not efficient to recover Li for reuse in battery applications. LA batteries are now recycled with more than 99% efficiency in the USA and EU because of factors such as separation at the source, availability of methods to economically recover materials and regulations supporting recycling. Novel recycling techniques are being developed for effective recycling of Li-ion batteries.
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This article is derived from the Subject Data funded in whole or part by USAID and NAS through Subaward 2000010558. A part of this work is also based upon work supported by Science, Technology & Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) under grant (EG US project id 42692) to Dr. Atef Daoud in Egypt. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, NAS or STDF.
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Yanamandra, K., Pinisetty, D., Daoud, A. et al. Recycling of Li-Ion and Lead Acid Batteries: A Review. J Indian Inst Sci 102, 281–295 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41745-021-00269-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41745-021-00269-7