METHOD OF RECYCLING A BATTERY

• US 20070134546A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnerDel, Inc. (Ener1, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EnerDel, Inc. (Ener1, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Zenzo
• Granted Patent: US 7,964,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/49
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 26/12 Obtaining lithium
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/005 Separation by a physical processing technique only, e.g. by mechanical breaking
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/54 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling

Abstract

A method of the present invention is directed to recycling a battery that includes a plurality of lithium cells removable from one another. The battery is tested to measure internal resistance of the lithium cells to determine if the lithium cells present a predetermined level of operational capability. The lithium cells having the operational level less than the predetermined level of operational capability are replaced with new lithium cells as the battery is re-assembled. The removed lithium cells are recycled.

Claims

1. A method of recycling a battery usable in an automotive application and having a plurality of lithium cells removable from one another with each lithium cell having a first electrode formed from a first metal having a positive material and a second electrode formed from a second metal having a negative material with the second electrode having a charge opposite from the first electrode, said method comprising the steps of:

disassembling the battery to remove the lithium cells;

measuring internal resistance of the lithium cells to determine at least one of a charge capacity and a discharge capacity thereby determining if the lithium cells present a predetermined level of operational capability;

removing the lithium cells having the operational level less than the predetermined level of operational capability thereby separating the removed cells into at least two recycling categories based on deviation of the operational level of the removed lithium cells from the predetermined level of operational capability;

replacing the lithium cells being removed from the battery by new lithium cells and assembling the battery as the battery is re-assembled; and

recycling the lithium cells of one of the recycling categories removed from the battery by separating at least one of the first metal from the positive material and the second metal from the negative material as at least one of the first metal and the second metal is regenerated and forming a new cell by mixing the recycled positive material with new positive material and the recycled negative material with new negative material in predetermined ratios;

re-using the lithium cells of another of the recycling categories in a second application other than the automotive application.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of recycling the lithium cells removed from the battery is further defined by separating the first electrode from the second electrode and recycling the first and second electrodes separately from one another.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the step of step of recycling the lithium cells removed from the battery is further defined by placing the first electrode having the first metal and the positive material into a mixer and separating the first metal from the positive material as the first electrode is mixed with fluid.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the first metal is aluminum.

5. A method a set forth in claim 4 including the step of regenerating the aluminum removed from the positive material.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 including the step of drying the positive material separated from the aluminum.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 including the step of mixing the new positive material with the dried positive material to form a new positive mixture based on a ration predetermined upon the difference between the predetermined level of operational capability of the lithium cell and the operational level of the lithium cell removed from the battery.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the predetermined ratio presents up to 70 percent of the dried positive material and up to 30 percent of the new positive material.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the predetermined ratio presents at least 70 percent of the dried positive material and at least 30 percent of the new positive material.

10. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the step of recycling the lithium cells removed from the battery is further defined by placing the second electrode having the second metal and the negative material into a mixer and separating the second metal from the negative material as the second electrode is mixed with fluid.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the second metal is copper.

12. A method a set forth in claim 11 including the step of regenerating the copper removed from the negative material.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 including the step of drying the negative material separated from the copper.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 including the step of mixing the new negative material with the dried negative material to form a new negative mixture based on a ration predetermined upon the difference between the predetermined level of operational capability of the lithium cell and the operational level of the lithium cell removed from the battery.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein the predetermined ratio presents up to 70 percent of the dried negative material and up to 30 percent of the new negative material.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the predetermined ratio presents at least 70 percent of the dried negative material and at least 30 percent of the new negative material.

17. A method as set forth in claim 13 including the step of coating the new negative mixture on the regenerated copper to form a new second electrode and coating the new positive mixture on the regenerated aluminum to form a new first electrode.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 including the step of combining the new first electrode and the new second electrode with a separator and an electrolyte placed therebetween to form the new lithium cell.

19. A method of recycling a lithium cell comprising the steps of;

forming a battery device having a plurality of the lithium cells removable from one another with each lithium cell having a first electrode formed from an aluminum having a positive material and a second electrode formed from a copper having a negative material with the second electrode having a charge opposite from the first electrode,

disassembling the battery device to remove the lithium cells,

measuring internal resistance of the lithium cells to determine at least one of a charge capacity and a discharge capacity thereby determining if the lithium cells present a predetermined level of operational capability,

removing the lithium cells having the operational level less than the predetermined level of operational capability thereby separating the removed cells into at least two recycling categories based on deviation of the operational level of the removed lithium cells from the predetermined level of operational capability,

replacing the lithium cells being removed from the battery by new cells and assembling the battery,

recycling the cells of one of the recycling categories removed from the battery by separating at least one of the aluminum from the positive material and the copper metal from the negative material as at least one of the aluminum and the copper is regenerated,

separating the first electrode from the second electrode and recycling the first and second electrodes separately from one another by separately placing the first electrode having the aluminum and the positive material into a first mixer and separating the aluminum from the positive material as the first electrode is mixed with fluid and placing the second electrode having the copper and the negative material into a second mixer and separating the copper from the negative material as the second electrode is mixed with fluid,

drying the positive material separated from the aluminum and the negative material separated from the copper,

mixing the new positive material with the dried positive material to form a new positive mixture based on a ration predetermined upon the difference between the predetermined level of operational capability of the cell and the operational level of the cell removed from the battery wherein the predetermined ratio presents up to 70 percent of the dried positive material and up to 30 percent of the new positive material,

mixing the new negative material with the dried negative material to form a new negative mixture based on a ration predetermined upon the difference between the predetermined level of operational capability of the lithium cell and the operational level of the lithium cell removed from the battery wherein the predetermined ratio presents up to 70 percent of the dried negative material and up to 30 percent of the new negative material,

coating the new negative mixture on the regenerated copper to form a new second electrode and coating the new positive mixture on the regenerated aluminum to form a new first electrode,

combining the new first electrode and the new second electrode with a separator and an electrolyte placed therebetween to form the new cell, and

re-using the lithium cells of another of the recycling categories in a second application other than the automotive application.

20. A battery device made by the process of claim 19 having a housing having a bottom and a side walls and a lid removably attached to said side walls and a plurality of pins extending from said bottom and through said lid.

21. A battery device made by the process of claim 19 including a plurality of lithium cells with each lithium cell having a first electrode formed from an aluminum having a positive material and a second electrode formed from a copper having a negative material with said second electrode having a charge opposite from said first electrode and a separator sandwiched between said first and second electrodes and an electrolyte disposed therebetween with said pins extending through said lithium cells as said lithium cells are placed inside said housing.

22. A battery device made by process of claim 19 including at least one resilient member disposed between said lithium cells for forcing said lithium cells against said lid and said bottom thereby evenly press said lithium cells relative to one another.