Battery waste is becoming a growing environmental issue because of the harmful substances it contains. However, batteries also contain valuable materials such as nickel, which helps new battery production. Scientists are urgently trying to discover a better way to recycle these important pieces of equipment.
A New Approach
Scientists at TU Wien developed a new process that recovers nickel from used nickel-metal hydride batteries. These batteries are commonly used in a variety of applications, such as everyday electronics or even in electric vehicles. Using this battery waste and aluminum foil, like the kind we use in the kitchen, the scientists found it was possible to produce a nanocatalyst that converts CO2 into valuable methane.
The team extracted nickel from the used batteries and recovered alumina from used aluminum foil, then converted the materials into a high-performance nanocatalyst. Moreover, the scientists say they did it in an environmentally friendly way using green chemistry methods.
“Our nanocatalyst consists of 92-96% aluminum oxide and 4-8% nickel, which is optimal for converting the greenhouse gas CO2 together with hydrogen into methane,” said Günther Rupprechter, who is head of the research project. According to the researchers, the process does not require high pressure or high temperatures.
The work opens up a way to transform this waste into a valuable fuel that can contribute to the energy industry in a climate-neutral way.
“Now we want to investigate how this process can be scaled up for technological applications,” Rupprechter said. “We believe that this approach can transform sustainable fuel production.”
He continued, “Our approach shows a solution to the climate problem – and in a way that also helps to solve a pressing waste problem.”
Battery Recycling
Rupprechter explains why battery recycling is both challenging and important. “Modern batteries, such as nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) and lithium-ion batteries, consist of different components, which makes recycling and recovery processes technologically challenging,” he said. “Improper disposal can lead to chemical leaks, fires, and pollution.”
Recovering the nickel is especially important in the EU because waste batteries and scrap from battery production could provide around 16% of the nickel needed by 2030. This is enough to equip between 1.3 to 2.4 million electric vehicles annually.
However, the current recycling capacity tells a different story, scientists say. It is only about one-tenth of what is needed by 2030 in the UK and EU. Therefore, investments in recycling infrastructure are more important than ever.
