Scientists have experimented with several types of materials in hopes of making EV batteries, their storage, and their recycling more productive. One of the recent breakthroughs, developed by a team from Linnaeus University in Sweden and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in India, is derived from perhaps the most non-expecto substance yet: urine. It represents a before and after in technological innovation and a new position for the circular economy. Furthermore, thanks to research like this, the care of the planet will be taken care of for the next generations.
The new method od battery recycling process
The new method, which the investigators explained in a study published in the scientific journal ACS Omega, summarized by Anthropocene, can be used during the battery recycling process to extract valuable metals used in lithium-ion batteries. It uses a liquid solvent derived from urine and acetic acid, the main ingredient in vinegar.
The investigators say that it is able to recover a whopping 97% of cobalt from a battery, all while relying on harmless chemicals and much less energy than processes carried out nowadays.
EVs causes less polution
As electric vehicles climb in popularity, the batteries that they run on have become something of a hot-button issue. While EVs cause much less pollution than their traditional gas-powered counterparts, their batteries do come with a host of downsides — lithium-ion batteries, the industry standard, rely on the mining of materials like lithium, cobalt, and copper, which causes immense environmental degradation.
Challenges facing this new approach
However, the implementation of this urine-based recycling method, although innovative, is not without its challenges ahead. In the future, it will have to be accepted by the electric vehicle industry, i.e. it will have to be integrated into the processes of existing recycling systems and, above all, extended to this booming industry, which will require collaborative efforts between researchers, manufacturers and decision-makers.
Thus, care for the planet must be taken into account to address the evolution of the circular economy and methods involving sustainability. The need for further studies to assess the long-term impact of the use of this type of solvent on the quality and reliability of the extracted materials.
More studied will be needed
More studies will also be needed to assess the long-term impact of using this type of solvent on the quality and reliability of the extracted materials. If the materials are altered too much, this method could create a new durability problem, something the electric vehicle industry does not need.
In any case, this urine and acetic acid-based solvent offers a potentially revolutionary prospect in this field, both environmentally and economically. Although its components are, to say the least, unexpected, it could well enable the use of electric vehicles to become truly widespread in the future, which could not be better news for our planet.
New impact for the planet
The environmental impact of this new method is therefore particularly significant. Being able to extract these precious metals from used batteries reduces the need to mine new deposits of materials such as lithium, cobalt and copper, the extraction of which is often accompanied by significant environmental damage.
This technique therefore makes it possible to significantly reduce the ecological footprint of battery production, a parameter that has recently been the subject of increasing debate.
In addition to the environmental benefits, this revolutionary method could also reduce the costs associated with acquiring new raw materials by simply using existing materials through battery recycling. Over time, this cost reduction could also be reflected in the price of electric vehicles, making them more affordable and encouraging more widespread adoption.