1. Recycling of Li-ion and NiMH batteries from electric vehicles: technology and impact on life cycle
Dr. Jan Tytgat, General Manager, Umicore Battery Recycling, Olen, Belgium
Co-Author: Dipl.-Ing. Frank Treffer, Umicore Battery Recycling, Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany
– Belgian Platform EV

2. Recycling drivers
Environment-health-safety
 Regulatory framework:
EU: Raw Materials Initiative & Directives: Waste Framework, Battery, End of Life Vehicles
EHS
battery recycling will mainly be volume and regulatory driven
Volume
(H)EV market
Value
Metals: Y but
Compounds: N
Reuse: ?
EV batteries are ‘industrial batteries’  recycling is compulsory 2

3. Several aspects to be considered!
Strategic choices
Several aspects to be considered!
Economics
Material value Economy of scale
Technology
Environment
Core competence State of the Art
LCA impact categories Recycling v. downcycling

4. Fundamental process options
Strategic choices
Fundamental process options
Umicore model
Mainstream
Large-huge size, connect to mainstream processes (steel, mining)
Focus on compound recovery (value); but:
small volumes
quality ?
battery chemistry evolution (lifespan > 10 y)
difficult to get qualified
Focus on metal recovery, designed for broad family ranges:
Mid-large size, early standardization: element recovery
Rigid processes; no feed risks to avoid process disruptions.
Battery chemistry is complex and dynamic
Small, highly dedicated processes: compound recovery
robust process
trend: less valuable metals
 Scale effect
Dedicated
size
Technology choice

5. Combined Mechanical + Hydro
Strategic choices
Combined Pyro + Hydro
Combined Mechanical + Hydro
Plastics
Al, Steel
Cu, BMS
Modules
Dismantling
modules
cells
smelter
shredder
alloy slag flue dust
fluff metals black mass
Refining (hydro)
Construction or Li/REE valorization
land fill (3%)
land fill (30%)
sorting
Hydro process
Cu Fe Al
Cu Fe Co Ni metal/compounds
metal salts
graphite (land fill)
Remelting
Umicore technology: combined Pyro + Hydro, because:
Close to zero waste, full energy recovery
Robust process, suited for all Li-ion + NiMH

6. The Umicore Battery Recycling process
Dismantling line at UBR Hanau
Dismantling of battery packs to module level: possibility to sort ‘good’ modules
Project funded by BMU: LiBRI

7. + The Umicore Battery Recycling process Smelting
RE’s Li
(potential to recover)
EV pack dismantling
 modules
+ Energy Valorization
Ca/Si/Al/Mn aggregates
OUTPUT
Smelting
EV modules
INPUT
Cement industry
Portable Rechargeable Batteries
Co / Cu / Ni / Fe granulated alloy
Production scrap
5 years of experience;
2011: new, improved smelter
Further Refining
LiCoO2
Firing
With LiCO3
(CoCl2)
Pure new Battery
Precursors SX Cu
de-Fe
de-Cu Co + Co Ni Fe
oxidation
(Co3O4)
Alloy
Refining Ni
NiSO4
Ni(OH)2 Fe Cu

8. New UBR battery smelter
Up & running: spring 2011
capacity: 7000 ton/y
No further dismantling, crushing,… : no exposure to operators and environment
For any size of batteries
Energy efficient; no hazardous emissions

9. Recycled as products and by-productsNi Al
REE Co
Recycling Efficiency: Mn K Cu Li P Cl B C F O
Recovered H Fe C
Emitted H O
 RE: Above 50% EU target
Collected F Cl
Recycled as products and by-products Fe Co Ni Cu Mn Al
REE K Li P B O

10. LCA definition according to ISO 14040
LCA: a tool for assessment of Environmental Impact
LCA definition according to ISO 14040
"A systematic set of procedures for compiling and examining the inputs and outputs of materials and energy and the associated environmental impacts directly attributable to the functioning of a product or service system throughout its life cycle.”

11. LCA is an iterative process

12. Essential: process of grouping and weighting

13. LCA studies involving Umicore Battery Recycling process
Overview:
Simplified LCA on battery cell from SAFT (battery chemistry LCO)
LCA on Prius battery (NiMH battery)
LCA on production of NMC active cathode material
Several ongoing LCA studies with customers, to be published in near future

14. Simplified LCA by SAFT Goal & scope and selected impact categories:
to compare impact of recycling on CO2 production
and energy consumption for the production of a
Saft MP Integration® cell
Production of LiCoO2 material :
Option 1 : from Ni, Co ores extracted from mines
Option 2 : from Ni, Co recycled from Li-ion batteries
Data collection:
Option 1: Based on published data: and
Option 2: based on Umicore information
Functional unit: production of 1 of these cells

15. Conclusions SAFT
Less environmental impacts when LiCoO2 is produced from recycled Li-ion batteries

16. LCA on Prius NiMH battery by Oeko institute
Goal & scope: The general objectives of the LCA study are:
To investigate the impact of nickel in rechargeable batteries,
To identify the key environmental parameters influenced by the production, the use and the end of life;
To identify areas for possible improvements
To compare the net impact of driving a Prius vs. a conventional car.
Selected impact categories:
Global Warming Potential
Acidification Potential (air, water, soil)
Eutrophication Potential
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential
Use of non-renewable energy carriers
Ozone depletion potential
Depletion of mineral resources
Review: EMPA, Switzerland
Functional unit: production of 1 Prius pack km use phase

17. LCA on Prius NiMH battery: impact of recycling
In order to assess the impact of recyling (Umicore process) on the production & use phaze, three scenarios are compared:
Scenario maximum battery collection and recycling: This scenario is designed to show the maximum effect of recycling. It implies a collection rate of 99 % and a transfer of all collected batteries to Umicore.
Scenario 50 % battery collection and recycling: This scenario implies a collection rate of 50 % and a transfer of all collected batteries to Umicore.
Scenario no battery collection and recycling
Following slides: only effect of recycling (0%, 50% or 100 %) is illustrated! Effects of use phase (hybrid driving versus conventional driving): available on request.

18. LCA on Prius NiMH battery: conclusions for recycling
Global Warming Potential (GWP) and non-renewable energy carriers: limited impact thanks to recycling because main GWP saving is realized during use phase, not during production and recycling phase
Ozone depletion: main source of zone depletion is production of PTFE (battery compound). As this is not recycled in Umicore’s process, no positive impact.
For all other selected impact parameters: excellent results
Without recycling, Acidification and Eutrophication would be ‘negative’ for NiMH driving (= worse compared to conventional car): primary Ni production releases SO2 and NOx in nature; fully neutral if recycled Ni is used

19. LCA on Prius NiMH battery: detailed results
Acidification potential
Impact of battery materials + additional materials
Impact of battery materials only
Amount of SO2-equivalent produced for 1 functional unit
Impact of non-battery materials, but necessary for a hybrid car (mostly copper, steel, plastics)

20. LCA on Prius NiMH battery: detailed results
Eutrophication Potential
Depletion of mineral resources
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential
For ‘additional components’, market average recycling schemes are assumed (100 % recycling is supposed as it fits within existing car recycling)

21. LCA on mixed oxide Li-ion battery (Ghent University)
Goal & scope:
What resources can be saved through recycling Li-ion batteries?
Scenario A: cathode production from recycled Co, Ni (Mn into slag)
Scenario B: cathode production from primary (ores) Co, Ni
Credits for by-product from recycling were OUT of scope
Impact category:
natural resource consumption
Data acquisition:
Umicore for cathode production and recycling
Eramet, Xstrata
Eco-invent
Calculation method
In order to aggregate use of energy and materials in one figure, a unique quantifier is used: exergy; it is expressed in Joule
Review: EMPA, Switzerland
Functional unit: production of 1 kg of active cathode material (MNC-type)

22. LCA on mixed oxide Li-ion battery: Results
Saving of 51 % natural resources mainly due to:
eliminating high demanding Ni/CoSO4 from primary resources
moderate demand of recycling in comparison with high demand of cathode production stages
Mn is not considered as recycled (in slag, used as concrete additive)

23. Improved Umicore Battery Recycling process
Old UBR process uses cokes for technical reasons;
New UBR process no cokes
 energy used and CO2 produced in new process: +/- 90 % below old process

24. Conclusions
EV-battery recycling is technically feasible, beneficial for the environment and is imposed by law.
The installed battery recycling capacity can cope with growing EV-market
LCA is a powerful tool to assess the environmental impact of recycling processes; it helps to make environmentally sound decisions
In order to optimize the use of LCA, some guidelines should be developed to have a uniform LCA approach:
To compare processes and technologies
To compare business models
To compare performance
To set targets