He boom From electric cars he has brought with him a doubt that begins to resonate in the heads of many: What will happen to batteries when they finish their useful life? Although recycling seems to be the obvious solution, current methods are quite expensive, polluting and not very efficient.
However, a group of researchers in China claims to have created a technique that allows to recover up to 99.9% of lithium and other materials, using glycine as a potentiator in a more sustainable process. In a nutshell, and although this name is sure that many sounds like a day to day, Glycine is found in food -rich foods and sports supplements.
According to researchers from the South Central University of Changsha and other Chinese institutions, this compound can replace the acids used in the methods currently used for recycling. Instead, using glycine could allow to create an «soft leaching atmosphere» that breaks down the batteries used and makes lithium, nickel, copper and manganese recovery really easy.
The process, which they have called «turbohydrometallurgy», Get that, in just 15 minutes, the batteries can be chemically decomposed to recover almost all its components. Apart from this, the great advantage is that it is less polluting and needs less energy than current solutions.
This is not only for the environment: the dilemma of lithium and its potential end scare
The truth is that this potential solution that still needs to be perfected to recycle batteries is not just an environmental issue; It is also economical. The global lithium demand has shot due to that weight that electric cars are gaining.
World production has multiplied by four between 2010 and 2022, however, natural reserves are limited, which has given rise that many experts already begin to value recycling as a vital alternative.
The usual methods for recycling have their own problems. Pyrometallurgy uses ovens at extreme temperatures – until 1,500 degrees Celsius -, which generates large amounts of CO₂ and consume huge amounts of energy. On the other hand, hydrometallurgy uses acids that generate liquid waste difficult to manage.
Based on this context, the truth is that this Chinese advance with glycine could change the rules of the game. According to a recent study published by Stanford researchers, recycling batteries emits between 58% and 81% less greenhouse gases that extract new materials. In addition, it requires up to 89% less energy and consumes less water. The important point is now climbing these technologies at the industrial level.
New alternatives: Goodbye to lithium? The aluminum battery arrives
Of course this does not stop and there are always different open research paths to evolve the electric car, its batteries, autonomy and even the search for cheaper and less polluting materials is promoted.
In this sense, An aluminum -based battery could be the next great revolution in the world of electric car. This material is abundant, cheaper and less polluting than lithium. The advantages are clear: ability to load faster and its greatest durability. In addition, aluminum is easier to recycle and has a lower environmental impact during extraction.
Companies such as Tesla or Toyota are already investing in research related to alternative lithium technologies. If these batteries reach the market in a massive way, they could reduce that dependence on lithium and make a more sustainable transition towards transport electrification.
However, this, for the moment, it seems that it will have its own stones along the way, since aluminum ion batteries still need improvements to be completely functional in the electric cars market. One of the main challenges is to increase energy density, that is, the amount of energy they can store in a small space.
Another key point is to improve the life cycle so that they not only last longer, but are also able to offer the same performance in extreme conditions of temperature and intensive use. Without these improvements, its integration into vehicles could be limited.
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Tags: Batteries, electric car, environment