Ing. Mgr. Bc. Jan Kočí

The significant deployment of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) within a wide application field covering small consumer electronics, light and heavy means of transport, such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric vehicles (EVs), or energy storage stationary systems will inevitably lead to generating notable amounts of spent batteries in the coming years. Considering the environmental perspective, material resource sustainability, and terms of the circular economy, recycling represents a highly prospective strategy for LIB end-of-life (EOL) management. In contrast with traditional, large-scale, implemented recycling methods, such as pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy, direct recycling technology constitutes a promising solution for LIB EOL treatment with outstanding environmental benefits, including reduction of energy consumption and emission footprint, and weighty economic viability. This work comprehensively assesses the limitations and challenges of state-of-the-art, implemented direct recycling methods for spent LIB cathode and anode material treatment. The introduced approaches include solid-state sintering, electrochemical relithiation in organic and aqueous electrolytes, and ionothermal, solution, and eutectic relithiation methods. Since most direct recycling techniques are still being developed and implemented primarily on a laboratory scale, this review identifies and discusses potential areas for optimization to facilitate forthcoming large-scale industrial implementation.

Environmental concerns push for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and technologies with a low carbon footprint. In the transportation sector, this drives the transition toward electric vehicles (EVs), which are nowadays mainly based on lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). As the number of produced EVs is rapidly growing, a large amount of waste batteries is expected in the future. Recycling seems to be one of the most promising end-of-life (EOL) methods; it reduces raw material consumption in battery production and the environmental burden. Thus, this work introduces a comprehensive pre-recycling material characterization of waste nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) LIB cells from a fully electric battery electric vehicle (BEV), which represents a basis for cost-effective and environmentally friendly recycling focusing on the efficiency of the implemented technique. The composition of the NCM 622 battery cell was determined; it included a LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 spinel on a 15 μm Al-based current collector (cathode), a graphite layer on 60 μm copper foil (anode), 25 μm PE/PVDF polymer separator, and a LiPF6 salt electrolyte with a 1:3 ratio in primary solvents DMC and DEC. The performed research was based on a series of X-ray, infrared (IR) measurements, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) characterization of an aqueous solution with dissolved electrolytes. These results will be used in subsequent works devoted to optimizing the most suitable recycling technique considering the environmental and economic perspectives.

Screen-printed electrodes modified with an oligomeric film derived from 3-aminobenzoic acid (o-3ABA/SPEs) were characterized by imaging and spectroscopy techniques and applied for new psychoactive substances (NPSs) detection. Studies of o-3ABA/SPEs were carried out in comparison to polyaniline modified ones (PANI/SPEs). It was found that i) the polymerization occurs through amino moiety, ii) the carboxylic group determines the selectivity of o-3ABA toward NPSs, iii) the highest affinity was obtained for o-3ABA - secondary cathinone (Kads(butylone)=6.12∙105) and PANI - aminoindane (Kads(2-aminoinadane)=1.07∙105). This work presents the determination of butylone in oral fluid and demonstrates the advantages of the modified SPEs.

This paper is focused on the development and modification of inorganic refractory nanofibers for advanced applications, made from the most available ceramic raw materials (Al2O3 and SiO2) in the right proportion for crystallization of mullite, commonly used high-temperature material. The intention is to create a modifiable refractory material for use in electrotechnical applications as electrodes, separators, or a solid electrolyte in a new type of safe solid-state batteries. For these reasons, the nanofibers are modified with different conductive materials, for example different types of spinels. Spinels with the formula AB2O4, specifically CuCr2O4, have been studied due to their significant electrical and magnetic properties, that are suitable for their intended purposes.