Electric cars are a building block in the transition to sustainable mobility. But what happens if such an electric car is damaged or reaches the end of its life? Components such as the bodywork, seats, dashboards, and the like can still be easily recycled. The batteries, on the other hand, are full of energy that can power an electric car for hundreds of kilometres. Handling them is dangerous, as they are susceptible to all kinds of damage and can cause fires — on the other hand, they contain valuable raw materials.
The solution is obvious: recycling. But this is easier said than done. Only a few waste disposal companies have facilities for recycling lithium-ion batteries. However, taking the old batteries there is dangerous. This requires dedicated, secure transport. And that is expensive.
Recycling on site
Jürgen Abraham, Tobias Kopp and Chris Pichler are working on a new solution as part of a spin-off from the University of Graz at the UniCorn start-up incubator. Under the name ‘ProtectLiB’, they have developed a patented recycling process in the form of a compact recycling plant. It is the size of an ordinary container so that vehicle batteries can be processed directly on site.
“We can separate lithium, cobalt and nickel from the liquid electrolytes. Unlike existing processes, we can do this without heat,’ says Kopp, explaining the added value of her innovation. This is a huge advantage for customers: as the residual materials are no longer hazardous, further processing and transport are considerably cheaper.
Prototype in the centre of Graz
The first prototype is located on the campus of the University of Graz and is ready for use. The founders are currently focussing on batteries from the automotive sector. Mobile phone or laptop batteries are initially excluded, as every battery has a different chemical composition. ‘It's difficult to implement a single solution for everyone,’ explains Kopp.
The first customer has already been acquired in the south of Graz. Kopp: ‘Battery prototypes for transport are being developed there. In future, the technology of ProtectLiB will enable the company to recycle these directly on site.” A first step towards the sustainable recycling of batteries from the automotive sector.