The recovery rate of lithium-ion batteries in the world far exceeds expectations. China and South Korea have become emerging leaders in the circular economy of lithium-ion batteries.

The recovery rate of lithium-ion batteries in the world far exceeds expectations. China and South Korea have become emerging leaders in the circular economy of lithium-ion batteries. The recycling rate of lithium-ion batteries is only 5%, which is often quoted. In fact, this statistic originally came from the research report of Friends of the Earth, but it has been 9 years since the report was published. Over the years, this data has been quoted many times by the industry, and was even cited in the April 2019 'Nature Energy' editorial. The survey was published in Swedish this spring and again in English. Merlin said that there are many misunderstandings and misunderstandings about the recycling of lithium-ion batteries. According to reports, the current lithium ion recovery rate in South Korea is much higher than 5% in the world. Merlin’s report claims that the data it reports are based on its investigations and experience. Although it is generally believed that the recycling rate is significantly higher than 5%, for those who understand the global battery industry and battery recyclers, the battery recycling rate is clearly far more than 5%. In fact, many companies in China and South Korea are recycling lithium-ion batteries. Around the world, more than 300 preliminary studies have been conducted on the separation and recycling of waste batteries and cathode materials. 70% of the research is conducted by battery manufacturers in China and South Korea, and all active materials (including lithium metal) can be effectively recycled. However, most research has focused on lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) and lithium ternary (NCM) batteries. There are currently few studies on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and lithium manganese oxide (LMO) batteries, which means that some of them are commonly used. Battery types with fixed energy storage may not be fully covered. Merlin believes that because the recycling process is effective, future research should focus more on how to integrate used batteries into the recycling supply chain. 'The challenge faced by battery recyclers in Europe and North America is how to use used batteries, because the price of recycled batteries in Asia is more attractive,' Merlin said, which is also the main development direction of batteries in the United States and Europe, but it is now more difficult. Because many Asian battery recyclers do business in Europe. 'This 57-page report provides some interesting findings that need to be published, including: batteries in portable devices need to be sorted, which can be time-consuming. The recycling and utilization of grid energy storage systems and electric vehicle batteries requires a higher level of skills. In Sweden, only about 16% of batteries are recycled at the end of their useful life, which is far below the country’s target of 95%. Europe exports a variety of portable electronic devices and batteries to China or South Korea, many of which are at the end of their working life. Report author Hans Eric Melin said, “The low recycling rate of lithium-ion batteries in Europe does not mean that the world’s battery recycling rate is very low. 'In 2018, nearly 97,000 tons of lithium-ion batteries will be recycled globally, including about 67,000 tons in China and 1,800 tons in South Korea. More than 50 companies around the world recycle lithium batteries. Except for China and South Korea, other companies are from the European Union, Japan, Canada and the United States. There are more than 30 companies in China that recycle battery waste and generate waste. According to the survey, the technologies used by these companies are almost all hydrometallurgical technologies and produce products such as cobalt sulfate, nickel sulfate or lithium carbonate. Some companies also use recycling processes to produce NCM batteries or NCA battery cathodes. Disclaimer: The articles published on this site are all from the Internet and do not represent the views of this site. If there is any infringement, please contact to delete WeChat: Disclaimer: Some pictures and content of the articles published on this site are from the Internet. If there is any infringement, please contact delete A: Lithium battery manufacturers explain the development history of lithium-ion batteries