Battery Design for Economic Recycling

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project applies cell chemistry design to enable or enhance direct recycling of cathode active material (NMC) at each stage of battery life. The technical approach focuses on the use of atomic layer deposit coated cathodes (ALD-NMC) for enabling direct recycling technology. The technical approach will also demonstrate the use of a novel binder, which is a dissolvable ionic crosslinked polymer (DICP) as a replacement for fluorinated polymeric binder (PVDF). The significance of these design features is monumental for making high performance batteries affordable with recyclability. The design strategy unlocks potential of direct recycling high performance batteries; the successful use of ALD-NMC batteries unlocks a direct recycling value of ~ $30,000/ton-feed at a low operating cost of ~ $1,000/ton-feed. The technical benefits of the project include (1) improved cathode active material recycling (2) elimination of chemicals and process steps used in hydro-pyro or direct recycling; and (3) a new way to utilize cathode active material, as recycled material in manufacturing. The economic benefits of the innovation include (1) cost minimization for cathode active material recycling; (2) cost elimination associated with 7%-10% waste in LIB manufacturing (3) generation of new, domestic sources of critical minerals. The Social benefits for improvements in everyday living include (1) pollution reduction through reuse of metals that otherwise would be mined; (2) energy savings through the through use of low-energy, environmentally benign techniques; (3) jobs for engineering, operation, and sales of recycling and manufacturing technologies for LIBs and (4) improving the affordabiliy of EVs and energy storage for everyone.