Battery Recycling

Colin Pelletier

RSR Technologies

Metals Recycling Conference

June 19, 2019

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Outline

• Background RSRT and RSR

• Lead Smelting

• Battery Space

• Non PbA Battery Recycling

• Questions

RSR Technologies• RSR Technologies is a research and

development company engaged in the non-ferrous smelting and refining industries.

• The company provides services to battery, mining, and smelting companies. RSR Technologies is focused on achieving the highest standards for health, safety and the environment.

• The company provides services worldwide and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

• Associated with the RSR NA Corporation and Ecobat Technologies

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2018 US Lead Production was ~1,300,000 tons>85% going into PbA batteriesJan-Oct 2018; 116,000,000 batteries produced

Car Batteries

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Logistics and Shipping

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BCI National Recycling Rate Survey (2012-2016 )

Smelting

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Refining

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Lead

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Emissions

• Liquid – Hygiene and process water

• Air –

• Solid

▫ Disposal slag

▫ Hazardous Slag

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CaO-FeO-SiO2 Phase Diagram

Batteries

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A matrix of over 100 micro- alloys tested

Micro-Alloying Effects on Performance

Real Time Analysis During Cycling• Small fraction of cell near

the tabs is responding.

• Fast cycling (0.5 A = C/2)

• Only modest changes in XRD.

▫ There is a strong gradient in SOC

vertically along cell

• Spatially averaged XRD

signal matches voltage profile.

• There are strong changes locally though.

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Active Material Utilization is “Not” Uniform, Limiting Performance

Non lead acid batteries – Li ion

• Avicenne Energy Presentations at NAATBATT 2019

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15http://www.associationofbatteryrecyclers.com/technology.html

Collection and Transportation

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What are the wastes?

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• Varies by process

▫ Tailings/slag

▫ E-waste

• Emission requirements only get tighter

▫ Particulates (micro, nano)

Inhalable D50 – 100 umThoracic D50 – 10 um

Respirable D50 – 4 um

Materials Recovery & Qualification for Reuse

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• Li ion work

▫ DOE

RECELL

▫ USCAR/USABC

▫ Individual Companies

• What is the product

▫ Metal salts

▫ Cathode material

▫ Metal

▫ Electrolyte

▫ Environmental compliance

▫ Corporate stewardship

iSKY Battery grade MnSO4

Sigma NMC111 lot Assay >97.5% by XRF

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Colin Pelletier

cpelletier@rsrtechnologies.com

469 317 5009

rsrtechnologies.com

Questions

• M. Raiford, T. Ellis; Microalloyed Control of Lead Battery Active Materials and Resulting Performance Improvements thorugh in situ electrochemical techniques TMS 2019 Mar. 10-14, 2019 San Antonio TX

• Queneau et al; Recycling Lead and Zinc in the United States World of Metallurgy - ERZMETALL 68 (2015) No. 3 149(68(3)):149 · January 2015

• EDR Group; Economic Contribution of the U.S. Lead Battery Industry, BCI Jan. 2018

• EPA Webinar; An Introduction to Li ion batteries and the challenges that they pose to the waste and recycling industry; Mar 22, 2018

• Prengaman; Lead Alloys; Material Science and Technology; 15 Sept 2006

• M Sanders; Industrial Markets in North America, NAATBatt 2019; Phoenix; Mar 12, 2019

• M Sanders; Can Lead Acid Batteries Maintain Market Share?, NAATBatt 2019; Phoenix; Mar 13, 2019

• USGS Mineral Commodity studies; Lead; 2019; https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/lead-statistics-and-information

Citations

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Picture attribution

• Slide 2▫ h ttps://www.researchgate.net/figure/Agricolas-illustration-of-a-liquation-hearth_fig4_237100389

• Slide 3▫ h ttps://ecobatgroup.com/ecobatgroup-en/

• Slide 4/15▫ h ttp://www.associationofbatteryrecyclers.com/technology.html

• Slide 5▫ h ttps://www.hemmings.com/blog/2012/08/03/weather-conditioning-from-packard/

▫ h ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1

▫ h ttps://data.idis2.com/IDIS_data/faces/contents/vehicle/v ehicleMain.xhtml

▫ h ttps://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6028-1921-ford-model-t-center-door-sedan/

• Slide 6▫ h ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pallet_of_scrap_lead-acid_automotive_batteries_(wide_v iew).jpg

• Slide 7▫ h ttps://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/leadsmelter/popups/reverbfurnace_popup.html

▫ h ttps://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/leadsmelter/popups/sideviewreverbfurnace_popup.html

▫ Hofm an, Metallurgy of Lead 1e, McGraw Hill, 1918

▫ h ttps://www.steelconstruction.info/Steel_manufacture

• Slide 9▫ h ttps://ecobatgroup.com/ecobatgroup-en/products/lead_and_alloys/soft_lead.php

▫ h ttps://www.lme.com/en-GB/Metals/Non-ferrous/Lead/Physical

• Slide 11▫ h ttps://www.autobatteries.com/en-us/how-car-batteries-work/anatomy

▫ h ttps://batterytechnology.weebly.com/battery-manufacturing-flowchart.html

• Slide 16▫ h ttps://www.labelmaster.com/shop/labels/battery-labels/hazard-class-9-lithium-battery-labels/blank-and-pre-printed-shipping-name-class-9-lithium-battery-labels/un3481-lithium-ion-batteries-contained-in-

h snlb6500et?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItaiuo_Gx4gIVSrzACh3LJQ32EAQYAiABEgJYm_D_BwE

• Slide 17▫ h ttps://www.skcinc.com/catalog/infopage.php?id=9020

▫ Fa ctory by icon 54 from the Noun Project

• Slide 18▫ h ttp://www.iskychem.com/wap_product_detail_en/id/17.html

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