A research team from the State University of Pennsylvania (Penn State) has made significant progress in battery recycling technology, developing a method that enables more efficient reuse of materials from the so-called. solid-state lithium batteries. This type of battery is a more advanced version of the usual lithium-ion batteries, and many see them as the future, because they use a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one. This makes them safer and more stable, as solid electrolytes do not carry the risk of leaking or catching fire like their liquid counterparts.
Solid-state batteries are of particular interest due to their ability to provide higher energy density, which could significantly increase the autonomy of devices such as mobile phones and laptops on a single charge. However, of course, in addition to the advantages, there are also challenges, and one of the challenges they face is the complexity of recycling, because during the traditional process, battery components are often mixed, forming a “black mass”, which is difficult for further separation of useful components, as explained. As recycling is a large and important segment of today’s production, this is presented as a challenge, as explained.
To solve this problem, the team introduced innovative polymer layers between the electrode and the electrolyte in the battery. These polymer layers allow the electrodes and electrolytes to be easily separated during recycling, because the polymers can be dissolved, which avoids the formation of a black mass, explained research on the University’s website.
The team then applied the cold sintering technique to process the extracted materials – sAnnealing is a process in the production of materials that involves heating the powder particles to a temperature below their melting point. Mmethod enables successfully separated components to be reunited with material particles under pressure and at low temperatures, which results in the creation of a dense and solid structure without the risk of material damage.
Although solid-state batteries themselves have not yet been applied to the devices we use every day, the solution to one of the challenges that awaits them is a big step forward.
Energy portal
Source: energetskiportal.rs
