A popular criticism of electric cars is the toxic battery waste they create. In response to this criticism and for the benefit of the environment a new factory in the Swiss town of Biberist in the canton of Solothurn is aiming to recycle 97% of the components of a range of car batteries, reported SRF.
The company Librec AG, aims to eventually process 10,000 tons of used batteries a year. It will recycle batteries from a range of vehicles. 10,000 tons is the forecasted annual amount of car battery waste in Switzerland by 2035.
As a first step the company fully discharges the old batteries. It expects this residual energy will cover a third of its own electricity requirements. Batteries are then isolated in fireproof compartments for dismantling – this can lead to batteries catching fire.
Once dismantled and separated, the elements are shredded and dried. New batteries can be made from the resulting shredded material. The process is the result of years of research, according to Jodok Reinhardt the CEO.
The recycled components will be used to make new batteries. The company claims to have the highest rates of recovery of the expensive materials in batteries, materials such as cobalt, nickel, manganese and lithium. It also has high recovery rates for copper and aluminium, other heavily used battery ingredients. The company has also invested heavily in working out how to separate graphite while achieving high levels of purity.
Librec is launching in Switzerland with plans to expand across Europe and to be among the top 5 car battery recyclers.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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