Li-ion battery materials and recycling

Transcription

1 Li-ion battery materials and recycling Li-ion Portable Rechargeable Batteries and (H)EV batteries MetalKokkola Thursday 14th November 2013 Dr. Jan Tytgat - Umicore

2 Content Umicore company presentation and involvement in Li-ion batteries Battery materials Battery recycling Legislative framework Recycling technology 2

3 Umicore Company profile

4 Umicore a materials technology company our business approach We transform metals into hi Application know-how tech materials We use application know-how to create tailor-made solutions in close collaboration with our customers Majority of our growth comes from clean technologies We close the loop and secure supply by recycling production scrap and end-of-life materials Metals Chemistry material Material science solutions Metallurgy Recycling 4 Material solutions

5 Umicore s business areas fit societal challenges Energy Materials We develop materials which enable the clean production and storage of energy The business is driven by the demand for clean, low-carbon energy solutions Recycling We operate a unique recycling process to deal with complex industrial residues and end-of-life materials The business is driven by materials scarcity and recycling legislation Performance Materials Catalysis We develop technologies to treat automotive emissions The business is driven by increasingly stringent emission norms to promote clean air 5 We produce a range of essential materials and chemicals based on precious metals and zinc Diverse applications: e.g. high-purity glass, construction, pharma, electrics/electronics

6 Umicore involvement in batteries 6

7 Battery Materials 7

8 Diverse applications. Performance diagram Li-ion batteries Source: need diverse solutions broad range of Li-ion battery chemistries to serve the specific needs for energy/power/safety/cost/life span 8

9 Continued R&D to perform better results in materials roadmap 9

10 Relative share diverse chemistries NMC LCO 10

11 Various battery chemistries, challenge for battery recycling Labelling: not more than Li-ion Even with labelling sorting would result is several small streams need for robust process coping with all Li-chemistries 11

12 Battery recycling: Legislative context

13 Why battery recycling? EHS concern: EV-Batteries = a complex mixture of chemical elements and compounds: Li-ion: H, Li, C, O, F, Al, (Si), P, (Ti), Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, (Sn) NiMH: H, C, O, K, Fe, Co, Ni, La, Ce, Pr, Nd Electrolyte, solvent, plastics Legislative context in EU End of Life of Vehicles Directive (ELV): removal of batteries Batteries Directive: ban on incineration and landfill of industrial batteries To avoid dissemination of hazardous compounds Resource efficiency Quality target: recycling efficiency (RE) 50 % RE = (battery recycled materials)/(battery input materials on dry basis) 13

14 BD: Producers obligations regarding recycling Basic principle: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) EPR stimulates to include End-of-Life concerns in design phase Producer = any person in a Member State that places batteries or accumulators, including those incorporated into appliances or vehicles, on the market for the first time within the territory of that Member State on a professional basis for same type of EV, sold in different countries, battery Producer can be different (H)EV batteries are industrial batteries, not automotive batteries (= limited to SLI-batteries). no collection target, but take-back obligation ( reuse, recycling) Recycling Efficiency target (RE) 50% of battery weight has to be transformed into an output fraction that has ceased to be waste or that will be used for their original purpose or for another purpose (without undergoing further treatment). 14

15 Calculation of the Recycling Efficiency the Battery Directive s RE is a process efficiency indicator Calculated per calendar year On process/operator level: 2 operators with same process = different processes 1 operator with 2 processes = different processes 1 operator processing different battery chemistries together = same process Refers to recycling only, not including other recovery (energy). Including all steps until the end of recycling (output fractions with a purpose without further treatment or end-of-waste) All batteries processed during the same year in the same process generate 1 RE! the Battery Directive s RE is calculated on battery level Non-battery materials, e.g. casing of battery packs, are excluded EV-battery assemblies are not considered as packs but as batteries Battery cells are also considered as batteries Reporting: responsibility of first recycler (= operator that breaks the battery) consolidation of all subsequent recycling operations 15

16 Recycling process: system boundaries (example) Input fraction Battery collection RE = Qualified output fractions/input fraction Recycling Battery sorting Non-qualified output fractions Pure battery fraction Volatile compounds Qualified output fractions Shredding Fractions sorting Emission or landfill Contaminated metals Pure metal fractions washing Black mass (anode and cathode material) Metallurgical process residue or Fluff (paper, plastics) residue or Incineration (energy recovery) landfill 16 Qualified = having a purpose or End-of Waste; limited to battery materials Metal compounds

17 Battery recycling technology

18 Battery recycling concepts Pre-treatment Metallurgy Early process steps Later process steps Low investment cost; low environmental burden; high labour cost High metal losses; high labour cost; moderate investment costs High investment; moderate Efficient metal recovery; environmental burden; low low labour cost; moderate labour cost investment cost Source: prof. B. Friedrich, RWTH All recycling concepts are combinations of pre-treatment (disassembling, shredding, pyrolysis) and metallurgical processes (pyro or hydro) Optimum combination depends on battery chemistry and design, scale leverage effects, processes, 18

19 Battery recycling concepts: flow sheet Several EV-battery recycling schemes are under study, only a few are realized in practice. EV battery (discharging) dismantling This scheme reflects the major trends cells/modules auxiliary parts N Shredding? pyrometallurgy construction Mn Al Li slag Y (discharging) shredding sorting Al remelting plastics Cu, precious metals recovery energy recovery plastics/paper Cu, Co + Ni compounds remelting Cu hydrometallurgy Umicore process steel Cu/electronic Al Co Ni Cu alloy chemical industry sorting black mass or metallurgy or hydrometallurgy salts of Mn Al Li Co Ni Cu 19 chemical industry

20 Battery recycling concepts: challenges Dismantling Labour intensive: Manual semi-automated mechanical breaking Safety: State of Charge? Shredding Charged batteries + inflammable solvents = fire risk; inert atmosphere or cryogenic shredding Battery shredding.m p4 Alternatively: pyrolysis before shredding Pyrometallurgy Optimum conditions for maximum metal yields Hydrometallurgy: Robustness of the process to cope with variety of input materials General Quality of the recycled products: should meet industry standards Cost: complex material flow and (still) small quantities 20

21 Battery recycling concepts: process choices Pyro or hydro Shredding + - pyro cost cost smaller fraction to metallurgical process: lower investment cost several consecutive operations: more labour cost recovered Al (as metal) low value metals are recycled at low cost higher investment cost Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) more LCA credits for hydro safety risk (fire) requires discharging or shredding under inert shield gas or cryogenic shredding more LCA burden need to refine also low value metals (mainly labour cost) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) slag forming additives are need of chemicals fully recycled waste water treatment energy to heat furnace higher credits for recovered recovered from battery materials materials (however, quality not yet proven) Pilot test needed to quantify the effects 21 effects can significantly influence the conclusion MetalKokkolaScale leverage

22 Umicore Process description - Dismantling [Dismantling] Battery pack Dismantling/discharging facility for (H)EV in Germany since January Another dismantling/discharging facility in US is operational since mid Industrial-scale UHT smelter in Hoboken, Belgium. Operational since mid Hanau, Germany North Carolina, US 22 Hoboken, Belgium

23 Umicore Process description - metallurgy

24 RE calculation applied to the Umicore process Table 1: Possible example of elemental composition of EV-battery modules (not an industrial average, not representing a real battery) Calculation of theoretical RE on module level: Metals and P are supposed to end up in the right fraction O is partially recovered in metal oxides (slag) and partially emitted as CO2 and H2O C and H are emitted as CO2 and H2O F is collected in a waste fraction 24

25 Conclusions Huge diversity of Li-ion battery chemistries requires a robust recycling process The Batteries Directive is the first EPR-directive that includes recycling efficiency targets until the final stage of recycling The Umicore recycling process complies with the BD s RE target Contact: jan.tytgat@umicore.com 25