A chemical bath might restore your old EV battery to almost its full capacity.

      Researchers at Cornell University have created a recycling process that can restore spent lithium-ion cells to 95% of their original capacity while reducing recycling costs by over 50%.

      Your upcoming phone or electric vehicle may utilize a recycled battery that functions almost as well as a brand-new one. The new recycling method developed by the team at Cornell reinstates spent lithium-ion cells to as much as 95% of their original capacity, achieving a 56% reduction in recycling expenses.

      A bath rather than shredding

      Existing battery recycling methods tend to be destructive. Expired cells are typically subjected to extreme temperatures or crushed into a powder and treated with harsh acids to retrieve usable materials. The components obtained must then be reconstructed from the ground up before being used in a new battery.

      According to TechXplore, the method developed by Cornell avoids these steps. The direct electrode-to-electrode regeneration (DEER) technique involves extracting the electrodes from a spent battery and immersing them in an electrochemical solution that eliminates the insulating layer causing capacity reduction. The cleaned electrodes can then be used directly in a new cell without prior breakdown.

      Importance beyond the laboratory

      The United States substantially depends on imported nickel and cobalt for lithium-ion battery production, and the domestic recycling infrastructure is limited. A process that shortens the recycling cycle and keeps more materials in circulation addresses both cost and supply chain weaknesses.

      Additionally, the Cornell team discovered that DEER lessens harmful air pollutants and reduces water consumption compared to traditional recycling techniques. The researchers currently focus on batteries at 70 to 80% of their original capacity, which is the usual state of an electric vehicle battery pack nearing the end of its lifespan. Future steps include testing the method on industrial-scale batteries and addressing other forms of degradation, such as lithium loss.

      If this technique can be scaled, it may lead to lower battery costs, reduced pressure on mining, and fewer spent cells ending up in landfills.