Closing the Loop on LIB Waste: A Comparison of the Current Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. and Australia towards a Sustainable Energy Future
Many countries have started their transition to a net-zero economy. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play an ever-increasing role towards this transition as a rechargeable energy storage medium. Initially, LIBs were developed for consumer electronics and portable devices but have seen dramatic growth in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Recycling |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/8/5/78 |
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| author | Gavin E. Collis Qiang Dai Joanne S. C. Loh Albert Lipson Linda Gaines Yanyan Zhao Jeffrey Spangenberger |
| author_facet | Gavin E. Collis Qiang Dai Joanne S. C. Loh Albert Lipson Linda Gaines Yanyan Zhao Jeffrey Spangenberger |
| author_sort | Gavin E. Collis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many countries have started their transition to a net-zero economy. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play an ever-increasing role towards this transition as a rechargeable energy storage medium. Initially, LIBs were developed for consumer electronics and portable devices but have seen dramatic growth in their use in electric vehicles (EVs) and via the gradual uptake in battery energy storage systems (BESSs) over the last decade. As such, critical metals (Li, Co, Ni, and Mn) and chemicals (polymers, electrolytes, Cu, Al, PVDF, LiPF<sub>6</sub>, LiBF<sub>4</sub>, and graphite) needed for LIBs are currently in great demand and are susceptible to global supply shortages. Dramatic increases in raw material prices, coupled with predicted exponential growth in global demand (e.g., United States graphite demand from 2022 7000 t to ~145,000 t), means that LIBs will not be sustainable if only sourced from raw materials. LIBs degrade over time. When their performance can no longer meet the requirement of their intended application (e.g., EVs in the 8–12 year range), opportunities exist to extract and recover battery materials for re-use in new batteries or to supply other industrial chemical sectors. This paper compares the challenges, barriers, opportunities, and successes of the United States of America and Australia as they transition to renewable energy storage and develop a battery supply chain to support a circular economy around LIBs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:56:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-81c9f40373c54a4c81c303db7d0f45fe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2313-4321 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:56:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Recycling |
| spelling | doaj.art-81c9f40373c54a4c81c303db7d0f45fe2023-11-19T17:56:11ZengMDPI AGRecycling2313-43212023-10-01857810.3390/recycling8050078Closing the Loop on LIB Waste: A Comparison of the Current Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. and Australia towards a Sustainable Energy FutureGavin E. Collis0Qiang Dai1Joanne S. C. Loh2Albert Lipson3Linda Gaines4Yanyan Zhao5Jeffrey Spangenberger6CSIRO Manufacturing, Research Way, Clayton, VIC 3169, AustraliaArgonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USACSIRO Mineral Resources, 7 Conlon Street, Waterford, WA 6152, AustraliaArgonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USAArgonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USACSIRO Energy, Research Way, Clayton, VIC 3169, AustraliaArgonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USAMany countries have started their transition to a net-zero economy. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play an ever-increasing role towards this transition as a rechargeable energy storage medium. Initially, LIBs were developed for consumer electronics and portable devices but have seen dramatic growth in their use in electric vehicles (EVs) and via the gradual uptake in battery energy storage systems (BESSs) over the last decade. As such, critical metals (Li, Co, Ni, and Mn) and chemicals (polymers, electrolytes, Cu, Al, PVDF, LiPF<sub>6</sub>, LiBF<sub>4</sub>, and graphite) needed for LIBs are currently in great demand and are susceptible to global supply shortages. Dramatic increases in raw material prices, coupled with predicted exponential growth in global demand (e.g., United States graphite demand from 2022 7000 t to ~145,000 t), means that LIBs will not be sustainable if only sourced from raw materials. LIBs degrade over time. When their performance can no longer meet the requirement of their intended application (e.g., EVs in the 8–12 year range), opportunities exist to extract and recover battery materials for re-use in new batteries or to supply other industrial chemical sectors. This paper compares the challenges, barriers, opportunities, and successes of the United States of America and Australia as they transition to renewable energy storage and develop a battery supply chain to support a circular economy around LIBs.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/8/5/78battery value chainlithium-ion battery recyclingblack masscritical materialssustainabilitycircular economy |
| spellingShingle | Gavin E. Collis Qiang Dai Joanne S. C. Loh Albert Lipson Linda Gaines Yanyan Zhao Jeffrey Spangenberger Closing the Loop on LIB Waste: A Comparison of the Current Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. and Australia towards a Sustainable Energy Future Recycling battery value chain lithium-ion battery recycling black mass critical materials sustainability circular economy |
| title | Closing the Loop on LIB Waste: A Comparison of the Current Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. and Australia towards a Sustainable Energy Future |
| title_full | Closing the Loop on LIB Waste: A Comparison of the Current Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. and Australia towards a Sustainable Energy Future |
| title_fullStr | Closing the Loop on LIB Waste: A Comparison of the Current Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. and Australia towards a Sustainable Energy Future |
| title_full_unstemmed | Closing the Loop on LIB Waste: A Comparison of the Current Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. and Australia towards a Sustainable Energy Future |
| title_short | Closing the Loop on LIB Waste: A Comparison of the Current Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. and Australia towards a Sustainable Energy Future |
| title_sort | closing the loop on lib waste a comparison of the current challenges and opportunities for the u s and australia towards a sustainable energy future |
| topic | battery value chain lithium-ion battery recycling black mass critical materials sustainability circular economy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/8/5/78 |
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