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Within the next few years major changes in mobility are expected. Increasing numbers of electric powered cars, electrobikes and E-Scooters define the transport sector. Recently lithium based traction batteries as storage medium have led into matrurity of series production combining high electrical efficiencies with low weights and compact dimensions. Due to the relatively young development with lithium batteries utilization, only few investigation were conducted regarding their recycling. Conventional battery recycling processes can not be applied due to differences in design and chemistry.
So an automated disassembly and processing procedure for lithium traction batteries has been developed in the R/D-project "Li-WERT". Instead of complete smelting of the batteries without pretreatment, an automated disassembly and specific treatment of the material streams was realised, adjusted to the needs of the subsequent recovery technologies. A higher quality, with reduced expenses for the separation of fine-grained or fused material mixes, can be obtained for the individual components. The automated disassembly using an industrial robot significantly reduces dangers for the operating crew.
The selective disassembly and beneficiation allows full recovery of the fractions. The batteries will be disassembled to cell level by the industrial robot. Anodes, cathodes, and separation layers are isolated and processed. The technology is designed, that no waste is generated for disposal. The pelletised cathode coating and the other separated metals (stainless steel, copper, aluminum) can be used in respective metallurgical plants. Circuit boards and plug contacts are also coveted secondary raw materials for reuse.
The process is modular and offers high flexibility, e. g. for new battery types/ sizes by quick adjustment of the robot and tool change. Adaptation to other cathode materials (e. g. Li[FePO]) is possible. After finishing the R/D-project, a pilot plant for demontage was realised in 2013.
The EU Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of life vehicles (ELVs) states that in 2015 at least 85 wt.-% of a vehicle
has to be reused or recycled. This result in the obligatory need to separate additionally metallic and other
components of the automotive shredder residues (ASR), so that they can be professionally prepared for recycling and reuse further. Currently the iron-containing fines of ASR are deposited as it is not possible to process in blast furnaces due to its particle size (< 4 mm), composition and material properties. Additionally problems are also caused in handling and transportation (dust) of the material. This work focuses mainly on the ASR materials utilization in blast furnaces. Material was further separated into two consecutive fractions by carrying out repeated crushing and magnetic separation twice. The two fractions have significantly higher iron content (up to 75 wt.-%) compared to the initial material mixture. The
materials were assessed for their usage in blast furnaces based on the possible pelletisation with and without binders, stability of pellets, shape and size of pellets, etc. Pelletisation of the material was carried out with a single mould pellet press. Further lignite coal was added to the mixture as additive which improved the
pelletisation behavior and the mechanical stability of pellets. Lignite coal was chosen as reducing agent in
the blast furnace process contributing towards additional savings in energy supplied. The experiments reveal that the production of pellets from iron-containing fines is possible with a lignite coal admixture of about 15 wt.-%. These pellets displayed good mechanical stability and can be used in blast furnace processes in recovery of the recyclable metals which are currently not recycled. The recycling of not yet recyclable metals would reduce the deposition and can be easily adopted into the economic cycle by their utilization.