Recycling of Li-ion and NiMH batteries from electric
vehicles: technology and impact on life cycle
Dr. Jan Tytgat, General Manager, Umicore Battery Recycling,
Olen, Belgium
Co-Author: Dipl.-Ing. Frank Treffer, Umicore Battery Recycling,
Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com Belgian Platform EV 20110331
Recycling drivers
battery recycling will
mainly be volume
and regulatory
driven
EHS
Volume
(H)EV market
Environment-health-safety
 Regulatory framework:
EU: Raw Materials Initiative
& Directives:
Waste Framework, Battery, End
of Life Vehicles
Value
Metals: Y but
Compounds: N
EV batteries are ‘industrial batteries’
 recycling is compulsory
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Reuse: ?
2
Strategic choices
Several aspects to be considered!
Economics
Technology
Core competence
State of the Art
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Material value
Economy of scale
Environment
LCA impact categories
Recycling v. downcycling
Strategic choices
Fundamental process options
Umicore model
Mainstream
Focus on compound
recovery (value); but:
• small volumes
Focus on metal
recovery, designed for
broad family ranges:
• quality ?
• battery chemistry
evolution
(lifespan > 10 y)
difficult to get
qualified
Dedicated
Small, highly
dedicated
processes:
compound
recovery
Mid-large size,
early
standardization:
element
recovery
Large-huge size,
connect to
mainstream
processes
(steel, mining)
Rigid processes; no
feed risks to avoid
process disruptions.
Battery chemistry is
complex and dynamic
• robust process
• trend: less valuable
metals
 Scale effect
size
Technology choice
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Strategic choices
Combined
Pyro + Hydro
Combined
Mechanical + Hydro
Plastics
Dismantling
Al, Steel
Cu, BMS
modules
Modules
smelter
alloy
Refining
(hydro)
slag
cells
shredder
flue dust
Construction or
land fill
Li/REE valorization (3%)
fluff
land fill
(30%)
metals
black mass
sorting
Hydro
process
Cu Fe Al
Cu Fe Co Ni
metal salts
metal/compounds
Umicore technology: combined Pyro + Hydro,
because:
• Close tojan.tytgat@umicore.com
zero waste, full energy
recovery
– frank.treffer@umicore.com
• Robust process, suited for all Li-ion + NiMH
Remelting
graphite
(land fill)
The Umicore Battery Recycling process
Dismantling line at UBR Hanau
Dismantling of
battery packs to
module level:
possibility to sort
‘good’ modules
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Project funded
by BMU: LiBRI
The Umicore Battery Recycling process
RE’s
Li
EV pack dismantling
 modules
+ Energy
Valorization
(potential to recover)
Ca/Si/Al/Mn
aggregates
EV modules
Portable
Rechargeable Batteries
Production scrap
Smelting
INPUT
Cement industry
Co / Cu / Ni / Fe
granulated alloy
5 years of experience;
LiCoO2
+
Firing
With LiCO3
Pure new
Battery
Precursors
Further Refining
2011: new, improved smelter
(CoCl2)
oxidation
Co
SX
de-Fe
de-Cu
(Co3O4)
Alloy
Refining
Ni
Ni(OH)2
Co Cu
Ni Fe
NiSO4
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Fe
Cu
New UBR battery smelter
 Up & running: spring 2011
 capacity: 7000 ton/y
 No further dismantling, crushing,… : no exposure to operators and environment
 For any size of batteries
 Energy efficient; no hazardous emissions
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Co
Recycling Efficiency:
Recovered
Fe
C
Emitted
H
O
Collected
F
Cl
Recycled as products and
by-products
Fe Co
Ni Cu Mn Al REE K
Li
P
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
B
O
LCA: a tool for assessment
of Environmental Impact
LCA definition according to ISO 14040
"A systematic set of procedures for compiling and examining the inputs
and outputs of materials and energy and the associated environmental
impacts directly attributable to the functioning of a product or service
system throughout its life cycle.”
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
LCA is an iterative process
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Essential: process of grouping and weighting
Inventory Classification
CO2
crude oil
NOX
iron (ore)
phosphates
Characterisation and Normalisation
Carcinogenicity
Respiratory organic pollution
Respiratory inorganic pollution
Radiation
Ozone layer depletion
Climate change
Ecotoxicity
Acidification, eutrophication
Land use
Minerals
Fossil fuels
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Weighting
Human health
Ecosystem
quality
Ressources
Indicators
(points)
LCA studies involving Umicore Battery Recycling
process
Overview:
 Simplified LCA on battery cell from SAFT (battery chemistry LCO)
 LCA on Prius battery (NiMH battery)
 LCA on production of NMC active cathode material
Several ongoing LCA studies with customers, to be published in near
future
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Simplified LCA by SAFT
Goal & scope and selected impact categories:
to compare impact of recycling on CO2 production
and energy consumption for the production of a
Saft MP 176065 Integration® cell
 Production of LiCoO2 material :
 Option 1 : from Ni, Co ores extracted from mines
 Option 2 : from Ni, Co recycled from Li-ion batteries
Functional unit:
production of 1
of these cells
Data collection:
 Option 1: Based on published data: www.informine.com;
www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca and www.nickelinstitute.org
 Option 2: based on Umicore information
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Conclusions SAFT
Less environmental impacts when LiCoO2 is produced from recycled
Li-ion batteries
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
LCA on Prius NiMH battery by Oeko institute
Goal & scope: The general objectives of the LCA study
are:
 To investigate the impact of nickel in rechargeable
batteries,
 To identify the key environmental parameters
influenced by the production, the use and the end of life;
 To identify areas for possible improvements
 To compare the net impact of driving a Prius vs. a
conventional car.
Selected impact categories:







Global Warming Potential
Acidification Potential (air, water, soil)
Eutrophication Potential
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential
Use of non-renewable energy carriers
Ozone depletion potential
Depletion of mineral resources
Review: EMPA, Switzerland
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Functional unit:
production of 1 Prius pack +
150000 km use phase
LCA on Prius NiMH battery: impact of recycling
In order to assess the impact of recyling (Umicore process) on the
production & use phaze, three scenarios are compared:
Scenario maximum battery collection and recycling: This scenario is
designed to show the maximum effect of recycling. It implies a collection
rate of 99 % and a transfer of all collected batteries to Umicore.
Scenario 50 % battery collection and recycling: This scenario implies a
collection rate of 50 % and a transfer of all collected batteries to Umicore.
Scenario no battery collection and recycling
Following slides: only effect of recycling (0%, 50% or 100 %)
is illustrated! Effects of use phase (hybrid driving versus
conventional driving): available on request.
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
LCA on Prius NiMH battery: conclusions for
recycling
 Global Warming Potential (GWP) and non-renewable energy carriers:
limited impact thanks to recycling because main GWP saving is realized
during use phase, not during production and recycling phase
 Ozone depletion: main source of zone depletion is production of PTFE
(battery compound). As this is not recycled in Umicore’s process, no
positive impact.
For all other selected impact parameters: excellent results
 Without recycling, Acidification and Eutrophication would be ‘negative’
for NiMH driving (= worse compared to conventional car): primary Ni
production releases SO2 and NOx in nature; fully neutral if recycled Ni is
used
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
LCA on Prius NiMH battery: detailed results
Acidification potential
Impact of battery materials +
additional materials
Acidification-potential of battery AND additional components
Impact of battery
materials only
100 %
16,0
Amount of SO214,0
equivalent
produced for 1
12,0
functional unit
Impact of nonbattery
materials, but
necessary for a
hybrid car
(mostly copper,
steel, plastics)
100 %
10,0
57%
8,0
6,0
66%
30%
14%
4,0
2,0
battery - no battery - 50 %
collection
collection
kg SO2-eq
11,4
6
battery maximum
collection
additional
components
Total - no
battery
collection
Total - 50 %
battery
collection
Total - max.
battery
collection
1
3,2
14,6
9,5
4,4
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
LCA on Prius NiMH battery: detailed results
Eutrophication Potential
Depletion of mineral resources
Eutrophication-potential of battery AND additional com ponents
Depletion of nickel resources
1,2
100 %
100 %
20,0
100 %
100 %
18,0
1,0
67 %
0,8
16,0
14,0
62 %
55 %
55 %
12,0
0,6
10,0
33 %
0,4
8,0
9%
9%
6,0
24 %
4,0
0,2
2,0
-
battery - no battery - 50 %
collection
collection
1,0
kg PO4-eq
1
battery maximum
collection
0
additional
components
Total - no
battery
collection
Total - 50 %
battery
collection
Total - max.
battery
collection
0,1
1,1
0,7
0,3
-2,0
kg Ni
battery - no
collection
battery - 50 %
collection
battery maximum
collection
17,8
9,7
1,6
additional
components
-0,0
Total - no
battery
collection
17,8
Total - 50 %
battery
collection
Total - max.
battery
collection
9,7
1,6
Photooxidants potential of battery AND additional com ponents at
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential
0,25
100 %
0,20
88 %
77 %
100 %
0,15
80%
60%
0,10
0,05
battery - no battery - 50
collection % collection
kg ethylen-eq
0,11
0,09
battery maximum
collection
additional
components
Total - no
battery
collection
0,07
0,08
0,20
Total - 50 % Total - max.
battery
battery
collection
collection
0,17
0,15
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
For ‘additional components’,
market average recycling schemes
are assumed (100 % recycling is
supposed as it fits within existing
car recycling)
LCA on mixed oxide Li-ion battery
(Ghent University)
Goal & scope:
What resources can be saved through recycling Li-ion batteries?
 Scenario A: cathode production from recycled Co, Ni (Mn into slag)
 Scenario B: cathode production from primary (ores) Co, Ni
 Credits for by-product from recycling were OUT of scope
Impact category:
natural resource consumption
Data acquisition:
 Umicore for cathode production and recycling
 Eramet, Xstrata
 Eco-invent
Functional unit:
production of 1 kg of
active cathode
material (MNC-type)
Calculation method
In order to aggregate use of energy and materials in one figure, a unique quantifier
is used: exergy; it is expressed in Joule
Review:
EMPA, Switzerland
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
LCA on mixed oxide Li-ion battery: Results
Saving of 51 % natural
resources mainly due to:
• eliminating high
demanding Ni/CoSO4 from
primary resources
• moderate demand of
recycling in comparison
with high demand of
cathode production
stages
• Mn is not considered as
recycled (in slag, used as
concrete additive)
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
Improved Umicore Battery Recycling process
 Old UBR process uses cokes for
CO2 produced for 1 ton batteries recycling
technical reasons;
3000
 New UBR process no cokes
2500
 energy used and CO2 produced in
new process: +/- 90 % below old
process
units CO2
2000
Electricity
Natural gas
1500
Oxygen
Cokes
1000
500
0
Old UBR
New UBR
Energy consumed for 1 ton batteries recycling
45000
40000
35000
30000
Electricity
25000
Natural gas
20000
Oxygen
Cokes
15000
10000
5000
0
Old UBR
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com
New UBR
Conclusions
 EV-battery recycling is technically feasible, beneficial for the
environment and is imposed by law.
 The installed battery recycling capacity can cope with growing EVmarket
 LCA is a powerful tool to assess the environmental impact of recycling
processes; it helps to make environmentally sound decisions
 In order to optimize the use of LCA, some guidelines should be
developed to have a uniform LCA approach:
 To compare processes and technologies
 To compare business models
 To compare performance
 To set targets
jan.tytgat@umicore.com – frank.treffer@umicore.com