Why is so hard to recycle lithium batteries?

The lead-acid battery is easy to recycle according to incomplete statistics. In the first half of this year, there are 54 power battery listed company issued investment expansion plan, total investment is nearly 116 billion. The lithium battery perhaps has a hunch that lithium battery industry may have the biggest bottleneck of the development.

The bottleneck is the cost? Cost, of course, once become one of the biggest challenges facing the lithium battery industry development, however, in many enterprises and research and development, in recent years, lithium battery average cost has declined. Once security issues are in lithium electricity industry, also have a breakthrough in recent years. Universal concern of all electric car industry can replace lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries in the lithium battery costs down, security, under the background of more and more high, questions about the lithium battery recycling become lithium battery can replace lead-acid batteries are the most crucial step.

Lithium battery recycling complex high cost

Lithium battery recycling why is so difficult? Lithium battery recycling technology route is quite complicated. Batteries must be pretreated, including discharge, dismantling, grinding, sorting. After dismantling of plastic and metal shell can be recycled, but costly: because the residual voltage is still as high as several hundred volts (not including18650 battery), there is a risk; Battery shell for security purpose, encapsulation for not since removed form, open is a kung fu.

In terms of pre-treatment, must be financed. Lithium battery cathode material also is varied, the mainstream of cobalt acid lithium, manganese acid lithium cobalt, nickel manganese acid lithium, lithium iron phosphate, etc. Leaching with acid and alkali solution, and then through a variety of chemical process, extraction of metal oxide. But the oxide component extraction conditions of different mixture is more difficult. In advance according to classify the battery cathode material, and the cost is not low. The positive metal recycling, is already a battery recycling industry in one of the most profitable segment. But the process is too complex, the company that will account for.

Now the price of commodities and non-ferrous metals, rare earth products are low, use these methods recycling metal is uneconomic, not to mention the treatment of waste liquid more trouble later. According to the current technical level, a single liquid waste processing, is enough to eat the poor recycling metal yield. Turn around business people do, at a loss of business no one to dry. Under the condition of current technology, no company will take the initiative to put into the recycling industry.

So only passive to deal with this way. The cause of this situation, not in lithium battery itself, but in the current technology. If within the next few years, will not be able to build a profitable recycling industry, lithium battery will be a "time bomb". And bear the brunt, nature is lithium battery production enterprises. Recently the ministry of industry and the national development and reform commission jointly issued the "electric vehicle power battery recycling technology policy" has been clear about the responsibility main body for the first time, and pollution control logic is the same: who is in charge of production, whoever pollution governance.

From a policy perspective, this regulation is to avoid responsibility of trouble, for the lithium battery industry, such regulations, just missing is the crucial point of enterprise: how to make a profit.

If the lithium battery recycling nearly two years to have big breakthrough, for lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries will truly implemented.

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