Are lithium batteries more environmentally friendly than lead-acid batteries?

After years of continuous development, my country’s lead-acid battery companies have basically formed their own systems and are showing a rapid development trend, and have made considerable breakthroughs in environmental protection issues. However, due to the large number of processing manufacturers and small scale For various reasons such as serious pollution and uneven quality, the pollution problems arising from the processing of lead-acid batteries have not been better solved, especially for a large number of small and medium-sized companies. The extremely serious pollution problem has caused a great negative impact on the entire electronics industry. There are many ways to determine whether a product is more environmentally friendly than others. Lithium batteries do not contain harmful substances, while lead-acid batteries are the opposite (for example, they contain lead). Both battery types are recyclable; however, it is currently far less difficult to recycle lead-acid batteries used in UPS and electric vehicles in most areas of the world than large lithium batteries. Lead-acid battery pollution is mainly in the processing link. Lead-containing heavy metal wastewater appears in the process of coating and battery cleaning. In the process of grid casting, alloy preparation, lead parts and aluminum powder manufacturing, various lead-containing fumes and lead dusts appear. . However, from a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact, the overall carbon footprint during the life of the battery needs to be considered. The carbon footprint is accumulated throughout the product life cycle: ●Raw material extraction ●Processing and transportation energy consumption ●Operating energy consumption required for battery charging and cooling ●Reusability and the impact on the land during disposal Previous analysis shows that so far, Operational loss (ie, the energy consumption required for battery charging) is an important factor in the carbon footprint of UPS and its battery system during the 10-year life cycle. However, there is no significant difference in operating loss between the two battery systems, and which battery system is better depends on the actual application. The energy consumption required to charge a lithium battery is lower than that of a lead-acid battery. The charging cycle efficiencies of lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries are 90% and 80-85%, respectively. In addition, the self-discharge rate of lead-acid batteries is higher than that of lithium batteries. However, lithium batteries must be equipped with a battery management system (BMS) to prevent short circuits and overcharging, thereby offsetting these efficiency gains. The monitoring system consumes energy. Therefore, the overall operating losses between the two are extremely similar. In addition to determining the dominant factors of the 10-15 year carbon footprint, because both have their pros and cons, other factors must be considered. Considering that lithium batteries containing materials that can be safely landfilled in garbage sites can be recycled, and because their service life is 2-3 times that of lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries can be considered more environmentally friendly. However, please note that the recycling rate of lead in lead-acid batteries is 99%, of which more than 90% of the collected batteries (this is North American data, Europe and Japan have similar proportions). However, the degree of recycling and reuse of lithium batteries is far from mature, especially for large lithium batteries (such as those used in electric vehicles and UPSs in data centers). From the perspective of technological upgrading, lithium batteries have the advantages of high specific energy, long service life, and environmental protection. With the further development of the battery industry, it is bound to replace lead-acid batteries. This is the development trend of the industry; economically, from the entire battery In terms of life cycle, lithium batteries have a longer lifespan, and the average use cost is not much higher than that of lead-acid batteries. In any case, there will still be lithium battery pollution, but it is relatively small. We live on the same earth, and our consciousness must start with ourselves, and used batteries cannot be mixed with other types of garbage in our lives, and we must dispose of them separately. The recycling of used batteries is no longer a call for one or two days. Generally, dry batteries contain heavy metal components, which are toxic and cause serious harm to the environment and humans. People have to form an awareness of protecting the environment, and when everyone does this, will they have an influence and the relevant environmental protection industry will develop actively. Lithium battery manufacturers should not only pay attention to the purification of technological waste during processing, but also greatly improve the pollution prevention and control technology of batteries after they are scrapped. Disclaimer: The articles published on this website are all from the Internet. If there is any infringement, please contact to delete it. Disclaimer: Some pictures and content of the articles published on this site are from the Internet. If there is any infringement, please contact to delete. 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