Tech Licensing Opportunity: Cathode Production from Recycled LIB Metals

Cathode Production from Recycled LIB Metals

An innovative process that uses recycled lithium-ion batteries to produce high-quality cathode materials with a simple, cost-effective method, enhancing supply chain security and sustainability.

The Challenge:

As the global demand for electric vehicles (EVs) skyrockets, so does the need for efficient and sustainable battery technologies. The heart of this challenge lies in the critical metals—nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co)—that power these technologies, which are currently sourced from geopolitically unstable regions and are subject to volatile supply chains. Addressing these challenges, INL (Idaho National Laboratory) introduces an innovative solution, leveraging domestic resources to enhance the reliability and sustainability of battery supply chains.

How it Works:

This technology advances a sustainable supply chain for lithium-ion battery production by recycling metals like nickel and cobalt from end-of-life batteries, electronic waste, and steel scrap. Using a unique process, it electrochemically leaches metals to create high-purity salts for cathode synthesis, addressing metal shortages and promoting environmental sustainability. The technique extracts nickel and cobalt from spent batteries using Tutton’s salt, adjusting the ratio for high-quality cathode synthesis. This approach emphasizes not an advancement in battery capacity but the capacity to regenerate valuable cathode materials from post-consumer batteries, effectively creating a secondary battery with robust capabilities.

Key Advantages:

• Enhanced Supply Chain Security: Reduces dependency on foreign critical metals, aligning with national security and economic stability.
• Versatility and Scalability: Easily adaptable to different production scales and capable of refining the proprietary salt to meet diverse manufacturing needs.
• Cost Efficiency: Utilizes domestic sources of recycled metals, lowering the overall cost of cathode production.
• Environmental Sustainability: Promotes recycling of electronic waste, reducing environmental impact and supporting circular economy initiatives.
• Customizable Material Properties: Allows for adjustable ratios of nickel and cobalt, optimizing cathode performance for specific battery applications.
• Increased Production Scalability: Simplifies the cathode production process, facilitating easier scaling and adaptation to meet market demands.

Problems Solved

• Shortage and supply chain vulnerabilities of critical metals like Ni and Co.
• Economic and national security risks associated with reliance on imported metals.
• Environmental impact of mining and disposing of battery materials.

Market Applications

• Electric Vehicles: Provides a stable supply of high-performance cathodes, crucial for the booming EV market.
• Secondary Battery Manufacturing: Ideal for companies looking to invest in sustainable production cycles for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
• Portable Electronics: Supports the sustainability of consumer electronics by enhancing the lifespan and efficiency of batteries.
• Energy Storage Systems: Contributes to more reliable and sustainable grid storage solutions, crucial for integrating renewable energy sources.

Development Status: TRL 2-3

US Provisional Patent Application No. 63/645,602, “METHODS OF FORMING A CATHODE MATERIAL FROM A TUTTON’S SALT,” BEA Docket No. BA-1409

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INL offers strategic access to proprietary technology, enhancing small business growth and contributing to economic and public advancement. We cater licensing terms to each business we work with, ensuring mutually beneficial agreements. Engage with our diverse technology offerings to propel your company forward.

Learn more about our licensing opportunities and the support we provide at https://inl.gov/technology-deployment/. For specific discussions on how your business can benefit, please contact td@inl.gov.