Li-ion battery cathodes developed from waste

Lithium Australia NL has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary VSPC Ltd (VSPC) was evaluating low-cost raw-material options for the manufacture of lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) cathode material using VSPC’s proprietary reduced-cost (VSPC-RC) process. The LFP material produced was used to create battery cells for subsequent electrochemical testing, which revealed that the cells achieved capacities of up to 161 milliampere hours per gram (mAh/g) at a 0.1 C discharge rate (ie, the discharge current will discharge the battery in 10 hours). This is equivalent to or exceeds that of the best LFP cathode materials currently on the market.

VSPC has achieved similar results with cathode material for test cells created from LP recovered during the application of mixed metal dust (MMD) derived from the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) by another company subsidiary, Envirostream Australia Pty Ltd (Envirostream).

Worldwide, the popularity of portable electronic devices continues unabated. Also, many countries are now embracing electric vehicles. All this means e-waste is accumulating. It is estimated that the volume of spent LIBs worldwide will grow to around 7 million tonnes per annum within the next 20 years. To avoid the mountains of toxic waste this could create, the recycling of spent LIBs is not just an option, it’s an imperative.

The advantages of processing waste from mining are also obvious, in that the materials recovered often have a lower environmental footprint than those created from virgin natural resources. It’s obvious, then, that manufacturing batteries using lithium derived from secondary resources such as mine waste and spent LIBs will enhance the environmental credentials of both EVs and the resources industry.

Lithium Australia said that VSPC’s uniformly successful results confirm the flexibility of its process for creating high-quality cathode material from LP recovered from mineral waste and recycled LIBs. The ability to extract and refine lithium from such low-cost sources for use in battery manufacture could lead to significant savings and greater sustainability for the relevant manufacturing and mining industries.

VSPC continues to liaise with battery-cell manufacturers in China and Japan and is progressing to the next stage of product qualification, with further samples sent for evaluation in larger-scale cells.

“The availability of low-cost reagents for battery production varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction,” said Adrian Griffin, Managing Director, Lithium Australia. “Our work may well result in Australia, and Western Australia in particular, becoming a more competitive environment for battery production.

“The use of recycled materials can improve sustainability, reduce the industry’s reliance on conflict metals and help protect fragile ecosystems from the impacts of mining. We’re aiming for more ethical and environmentally acceptable outcomes for the battery industry as a whole.”

The full ASX announcement can be found here.

Image: LFP cathode material sourced from LieNA LP.