Recycling of modern batteries
Part 1: Processing of nickel-metal-hydrite batteries
Summary: Rechargeable batteries are used increasingly in modern industrial communication devices, mobile electric-powered tools and traction systems. The German ordinance on batteries and EU directives oblige the battery industry to recycle spent batteries. From Ni-metal hydride batteries it is possible to recover nickel, cobalt and rare earths while from Li-ion batteries lithium and cobalt can be extracted, with extensive recycling of the other battery components. By combining thermal and mechanical processing as well as pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy, new effective technologies have been successfully developed for these batteries. In Part 1 below, processing of Ni-MH batteries is described.
1 Introduction
The distribution of modern technical communication devices has developed at an explosive rate in recent years. Progressing miniaturization and growing consumer needs were the driving force for the development of ever more powerful rechargeable battery systems (secondary systems). These systems include Ni-Cd batteries, Ni-metal hydride batteries and more recently especially Li-ion batteries.
After consumers have used up the batteries, the spent batteries turn up with a time delay in the waste stream and can be recycled appropriately. The objective of government-funded research...
