Old Phone Batteries Turned into New Lithium Cells as Part of Spanish Research Project
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 - 11:56:02
The issue of what to do with old mobile phone batteries once the handset have been sent for recycling is a significant one, since while there are precious materials still contained within these components, extracting them and using them is a challenge.
This could all change thanks to research conducted at the University of Cordoba in Spain, where scientists have managed to develop a system that allows fresh lithium batteries to be produced from cells harvested from unwanted handsets.
The specific approach taken by the team was to extract the graphite which is present in all smartphone batteries, purify it and redeploy it in new products. Since 25 per cent of a typical mobile battery consists of this material, it is a major step forward in terms of making smartphones more sustainable.
Another reason that this is an eco-friendly move is that the graphite which is used in mobile batteries at the moment is predominantly procured by processing oil, so being able to recycle it rather than requiring it to be extracted from yet more non-renewable fossil fuel resources is a serious benefit.
Experts have even been able to reduce the need for other toxic materials, such as cobalt, to be included in the batteries made using recycled graphite. This is good for the environment and also a cost-saving solution.
Researchers have proven that the batteries produced using their recycling method are able to perform on a par with similar cells that are commercially available, with the equivalent of a year’s worth of use carried out in lab tests.
Being able to efficiently recycle lithium batteries is not just important because of the rise of smartphone ownership but also because electric cars are quickly gaining traction.
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