Grant: Alliance Grants

The ever-increasing production of Li-ion batteries will result in the accumulation of used battery components containing heavy metals and toxic chemicals as the batteries reach the end of their lives. Graphite, the primary anode used in Li-ion batteries, accounts for ~20% of the weight of batteries powering electric vehicles and over 15% of the battery's economic value. However, spent graphite anodes are either burned for energy or landfilled due to the complex and energy-intensive recycling processes. Therefore, developing a cost-effective and scalable recycling approach to recover graphite anodes is imperative to lessen the environmental impacts and economic cost of spent Li-ion batteries. The objectives of this research are to 1) develop an efficient microwave-assisted recycling approach to regenerate and upcycle spent graphite, 2) prove the feasibility of recycled graphite in Li-ion batteries, 3) deepen mechanistic understanding of microwave heating in spent graphite regeneration, and 4) quantify the environmental and economic impacts of the new recycling method versus conventional processes. The project team consists of an interdisciplinary group of researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta for the recycling technology development and environmental/economic assessment. Our team also includes two partner organizations with solid expertise and operation experience in Li-ion battery manufacturing (E-One Moli Energy) and knowledge mobilization (Metal Tech Alley). The partners will engage in co-designing the research plan, supplying spent Li-ion batteries, providing knowledge and baseline data for conventional recycling processes, and validating the upcycled graphite in commercial Li-ion batteries. The success of this project will advance Canadian knowledge and processes for sustainable recycling of spent graphite anodes, reduce reliance on graphite mining, and develop a domestic battery circular economy by recycling and reusing critical materials locally.