Toyota Chemical Engineering entwickelt neue Recyclingmethode für Altbatterien. Foto: Toyota
Toyota Chemical Engineering has developed a new recycling technology for high-voltage batteries. This allows CO2 emissions to be reduced in the recycling process and more raw materials to be reused.
The increasing use of electrified vehicles means that more and more rare metals such as cobalt and lithium are required. As these are only available in limited quantities, the topic of recycling is becoming increasingly important – also in order to establish a resource-conserving circular economy on the road to climate neutrality. In Europe, battery manufacturers are also obliged to process a fixed proportion of rare metals recovered from used batteries from 2031 onwards.
With conventional recycling methods, used batteries are first processed in an incinerator before the rare metals are collected and further processed. However, the incineration process results in the loss of some of the recyclable materials, and large amounts of CO2 are also produced. For a car’s life cycle to become completely carbon-neutral, all emissions from production through decommissioning to recycling must be taken into account and gradually reduced. Battery recycling without prior incineration could be a key process for reducing CO2 emissions. Toyota has already conducted promising verification tests in this area.
Together with Toyota, Toyota Chemical Engineering, an industrial waste processing company, developed the first recycling technology for nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries back in 2010. Since then, the Handa plant in Aichi Prefecture has been collecting and recycling used batteries from hybrid vehicles. Until now, the conventional incineration method has been used. However, since fall 2023, the company has been researching a new technology.
The electrolyte fluid in batteries, which promotes the movement of ions, is highly flammable. To eliminate the risk of fire during processing, this electrolyte fluid is distilled and extracted. The battery cells are then crushed, sorted, and returned to the production process. The recovered parts are large pieces containing aluminum or iron, or so-called “black mass” – a powder containing various rare metals. Partner companies then process the recovered raw materials for further battery production.
“Of course, implementing such new processes also entails high investment costs,” says Yumi Otsuka, Chief Sustainability Officer at Toyota. “But it’s crucial to consider a car’s life cycle holistically. Take our KINTO mobility service, for example. Since we manage the vehicles ourselves, it’s easier to ensure reuse and recycle parts and materials. This also gives us constant contact with our customers, giving us new opportunities to offer them additional services such as upgrades and customization. Therefore, a more comprehensive circular economy contributes to both lower CO2 emissions and new business opportunities.”
This article appeared in the current eMove360° magazine in german language. Download the free PDF or order the print version at sabine.metzger@emove360.com.
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