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Nanoengineer Finds New Way To Recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries (latimes.com)

Zheng Chen, a 31-year-old nanoengineer at UC San Diego, says he has developed a way to recycle used cathodes from spent lithium-ion batteries and restore them to a like-new condition. The cathodes in some lithium-ion batteries are made of metal oxides that contain cobalt, a metal found in finite supplies and concentrated in one of the world's more precarious countries. Los Angeles Times reports how it works: The process takes degraded particles from the cathodes found in a used lithium-ion battery. The particles are then pressurized in a hot alkaline solution that contains lithium salt. Later, the particles go through a short heat-treating process called annealing, in which temperatures reach more than 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit. After cooling, Chen's team takes the regenerated particles and makes new cathodes. They then test the cathodes in batteries made in the lab. The new cathodes have been able to maintain the same charging time, storage capacity and battery lifetime as the originals did. Details of the recycling method were recently published in the research journal Green Chemistry, submitted by Chen and two colleagues.

72 comments

  1. A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A chemistry is performed so that a chemical reaction occurs and generates a signal from the chemical interaction with the sample, which is translated into a result, which is then reviewed by certified laboratory personnel.

    1. Re: A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But we have the new buzzword: nanoengineering.

      I'm surprised they didn't also include AI, blockchain, cyber, and Apps!

    2. Re: A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless it's smaller than a molecule, this "nanoengineering" is not any smaller than cutting edge chemistry of the 19th century.

    3. Re: A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can't help but wonder how green it is to create a heat source of 1400 degrees Fahrenheit.

    4. Re: A chemistry is performed by omnichad · · Score: 4, Informative

      Creating new, non-recycled batteries already requires smelting. And requires almost 2800 degrees Fahrenheit for cobalt.

    5. Re: A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was thinking the same thing. Why not just call him a chemist? Or Chemical Engineer? Those terms were used in the 70s and 80s I guess.

    6. Re: A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So they're both bad methods.

    7. Re: A chemistry is performed by rally2xs · · Score: 1

      Depends on how you generate the heat. What if you used waste heat from something else? Or better yet, a solar furnace - many, many, many sun-tracking mirrors focused on a single spot, 2800 degrees shouldn't be impossible. Just take up a lot of desert...

    8. Re: A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      False!

      Green chemistry is like good clean coal, where you just get a scrub brush and some dish washing soap and scrub off the dirty parts of the coal. Green chemistry only uses the "good" protons, neutrons, and electrons.

      Not like BAD evil red chemistry where there is collusion of atoms!

    9. Re: A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You misunderstand, Nano refers to the engineer, not the science or technology. The engineer is very small.

    10. Re: A chemistry is performed by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      What if you used waste heat from something else?

      280F is waste heat. 2800F is not.
       

    11. Re: A chemistry is performed by rally2xs · · Score: 1

      Steelmaking... but then it probably wouldn't be "waste" heat...

    12. Re: A chemistry is performed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      2800 degrees Fahrenheit

      ??? How much is that in Radians?

  2. more good news for EV's! by polar+red · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This should make EV's more price-competitive! take out your tesla battery after 300,000 km for a refresh and your car is as good as new!

    --
    Yes, I'm left. You have a problem with that?
    1. Re:more good news for EV's! by mentil · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The key question is if this process can be done cheaply enough that it's cheaper to recycle lithium-ion batteries than to just make new ones. Of course the process could be government-subsidized/mandated for environmental reasons. Ideally, a way to achieve this process inside the battery itself would be possible (without causing it to explode).

      --
      Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    2. Re:more good news for EV's! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ideally, a way to achieve this process inside the battery itself would be possible (without causing it to explode).

      Yeah... wayyyy ideally you mean isn't it? The same way today ideally we would have working 20Ghz cpus and thin smartphones with batteries that lasts several days.

      You can rest assured we won't have these ideal batteries this century and probably never will.

    3. Re:more good news for EV's! by TFlan91 · · Score: 1

      Just yesterday did you think this process itself was possible?

    4. Re:more good news for EV's! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The process requires temps around 1400 F. That’s going to be costly. So don’t expect this to completely change the economics of EVs overnight.

      Still, it’s a step in the right direction.

    5. Re:more good news for EV's! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the government should not subsidize or mandate anything around this. Let the markets work. Idiots in government are just that, idiots.

    6. Re:more good news for EV's! by gtall · · Score: 0

      "Of course the process could be government-subsidized/mandated for environmental reasons"

      Well, not in the United States, anyhow. We took the EPA out back and let the Republicans in Congress use it for target practice.

    7. Re: more good news for EV's! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your tesla battery is made from approximately 7000 batteries all linked together. It's not going to be very easy

    8. Re:more good news for EV's! by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

      The key question is if this process can be done cheaply enough that it's cheaper to recycle lithium-ion batteries than to just make new ones.

      That is a short-term concern.

      Of course the process could be government-subsidized/mandated for environmental reasons.

      Welcome to long-term planning. :)

      Ideally, a way to achieve this process inside the battery itself would be possible (without causing it to explode).

      That's some next level shit and I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    9. Re: more good news for EV's! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's called a furnace... They have been quite popular for a long time.

    10. Re:more good news for EV's! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course it would always have been possible to extract the cobalt and make new batteries from the old cells. Cost is always the issue. Sounds like this method may have cut the cost, which makes it more likely to be done instead of mining.

    11. Re:more good news for EV's! by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Informative

      The batteries are already recycled. What isn't recycled is the electrolyte. I was all excited when I read the headline until I found out that it was bullshit. He found out how to recycle part of Li-Ion batteries. But the biggest part currently not being recycled is the electrolyte...

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    12. Re: more good news for EV's! by TimMD909 · · Score: 0

      300,000km? What the hell is that in smoots? Jesus, we're nerds here. Use standard measurement units.

    13. Re: more good news for EV's! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You mean the way the markets provide cheap, affordable healthcare in the US? One of my medications is so expensive without insurance that it's cheaper to fly to Europe round trip and by a 3 month supply there than it is to go to the pharmacy down the road.

    14. Re:more good news for EV's! by fendragon · · Score: 1

      The best thing for EV batteries when they are no longer good for EV use is second life battery projects reusing them for less demanding applications like static energy storage. When they can no longer deliver bursts of high current they can still hold lots of charge and be useful for years, for example balancing supply and demand in a house running on solar electricity. Maybe after they're no good for that either they'll be worth dismantling and recycling.

    15. Re: more good news for EV's! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because furnaces don’t run on any sort of energy whatsoever....

      Go learn thermodynamics before you comment on this thread.

  3. And what's that in metric? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Come on, can't you find decent sources?

    1. Re: And what's that in metric? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Zheng Chen, a 31-year-old nanoengineer (4.8156E-7 Pi metric years)

    2. Re:And what's that in metric? by Solandri · · Score: 1

      TFA is the Los Angeles Times, so doubtless they converted the number to Fahrenheit for their readers. The original paper probably gives it in Celsius, but is paywalled so I can't confirm.

      If you can find an international reference news article about a researcher in UC San Diego which retains the number in Celsius, you should submit that as an alternative source article. Otherwise, you must be new here if you're expecting the editors to convert Imperial to Metric in story submissions.

  4. Re: Trump Gonna Get It Now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Trump being accused of fucking hot blondes will not hurt his brand. In fact, he sold the voters on telling us he has incredible negotiating skills to get whatever he wants. The ability to bang Playboy bunnies as an old man proves that point. He won on the premise that, as President, he would use those keen negotiating skills for the American people.

  5. ATTN: Nobel Selection Committee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please don't keep this person waiting for their due. (fingers crossed this really is true!)

    1. Re: ATTN: Nobel Selection Committee by c6gunner · · Score: 1

      I was going to say this isn't really Nobel Prize material, but then I remembered they have a peace prize ...

    2. Re: ATTN: Nobel Selection Committee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Miffed because they awarded the peace prize to Kissinger (firebombing) and Obama (drones), or do you think it's bullshit for some other reason?

    3. Re: ATTN: Nobel Selection Committee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no nobel for engineering...

  6. Re: Trump Gonna Get It Now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Incels unite!

  7. Re: Trump Gonna Get It Now by c6gunner · · Score: 4, Insightful

    To be fair, it's not much of a negotiation for him.

    It's like convincing a salesman to let you take a Ferrari for a test drive. If you're a homeless junkie who hasn't showered in two weeks, you better be one hell of a negotiator. Whereas if you're a millionaire with a nice suit, all you have to do is ask.

  8. Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Re-using Particles is a thing now?

    Please remove yourself and your relatives from the jean-pool.

    1. Re: Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I removed myself from the jean-pool, and all I got was charged with indecent exposure.

    2. Re: Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you should try wearing thongs underneath, or tweezers.

    3. Re: Really? by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Maybe stop swimming naked with guys named Jean.

    4. Re: Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I once jumped into a jean-pool, but i got cought in the zippers. Almost drowned.

  9. Cool beans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow. It's early and we've already got today's battery story out of the way on Slashdot. If only we could get the global warming story out of the way early on then we might have some interesting possibilities open for the rest of the day.

  10. Nanoengineer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do he have a big bushy Muslim-style beard and thick black glasses?

    1. Re:Nanoengineer by reboot246 · · Score: 1

      No, he's just really, really, really, really short.

    2. Re:Nanoengineer by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

      No, he's just really, really, really, really short.

      Like the Nano Doctor on Rick and Morty.

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  11. Ahh.. em sometimes I wonder about editors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... one of the world's more precarious countries. Los Angeles

    1. Re:Ahh.. em sometimes I wonder about editors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Los Angeles isn't a country

      It's an Insane Asylum, with free egress and ingress.

    2. Re:Ahh.. em sometimes I wonder about editors by omnichad · · Score: 1

      with free egress and ingress.

      From what I hear, this is not an accurate description of the 405.

  12. Re: Trump Gonna Get It Now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Trump offered to pay each of McDougal and Daniels a whore fee. They refused, of course, but this shows that Trump expects to pay for his pussy. I think even you could get some pussy if you paid for it, so put away your ski mask, duck tape, stun gun, and that beat up Ford truck.

  13. Deport him ASAP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    TRUMP!

  14. Re: Trump Gonna Get It Now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have been following but who says he offered sex for cash? I have yet to see that anywhere.
    He paid cash for silence which is not the same.

  15. Finite supplies? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    [...] cobalt, a metal found in finite supplies [...]

    As long as we are stuck on this planet, everything is in finite supplies.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:Finite supplies? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Intelligence is in indefinite supply.

    2. Re: Finite supplies? by Kjella · · Score: 1

      As long as weâ(TM)re stuck in this galaxy, everything is in finite amounts. Maybe we should just get used to that?

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    3. Re:Finite supplies? by Zumbs · · Score: 1

      If we are being pedantic, everything is in finite supplies in this solar system/galaxy/universe ;-)

      --
      The truth may be out there, but lies are inside your head
  16. Re: Trump Gonna Get It Now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Show me a billionaire who doesn't have hundreds of girls like that easily available.

  17. Re: Trump Gonna Get It Now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually, BOTH Daniels and McDougal said that Trump offered them money after sex.

  18. Try a mini engineer by Going_Digital · · Score: 1

    If they got a miniengineer they could do this on a much larger scale.

    1. Re:Try a mini engineer by blakec · · Score: 1

      I had no idea that there were nanoengineers; I thought that micro was the smallest.

  19. Question by M0j0_j0j0 · · Score: 1

    What is a Fahrenheit?

    1. Re:Question by Solandri · · Score: 0

      It's a unit of temperature based on putting the common range of temperatures people encounter in everyday life on a 0-100 scale, with sufficient granularity that the temperature adjustment knob in your car can go in increments of 1, instead of 0.5 like Celsius is forced to do.

      I'm all for metric, but I IMHO the SI folks seriously screwed up when they set 100 C as the boiling point of water. They turned it into a temperature scale more suitable for cooking and high-temperature physics, than for regular people's everyday lives. The scale would've been much more user-friendly if they'd set the boiling point of water as 200 C.

    2. Re:Question by M0j0_j0j0 · · Score: 1

      200 ? Nonono that's too much to just boil water, too expensive.

  20. Suuuure he does. Chinks are MAGIC! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So many Chinese lies, so little science.

  21. That's one very small engineer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    like, reeeaaaaallllllyyy smalll

  22. Forget the batteries by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 1

    The real news in this story is that they've apparently shrunk an engineer down to the scale of a few dozen angstrom units. How did they do that? There must be a huge number of applications for such a compact engineer.

  23. You crave 'em! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh but it is!!!! Brawndo's got electrolytes!

  24. Re: Trump Gonna Get It Now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After...? What was he thinking? He already gave them a tip!

  25. Greenwashing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's no shortage of cobalt, nor is it concentrated in one precarious country.

    Cobalt is abundant and commonly occurs with nickel and copper. Most nickel and copper mines don't bother with extracting it because the price hasn't justified it yet. As soon as prices look like they're going to stay at an elevated level, you bet your ass that the big miners will add the extraction facilities to their existing monster mines.