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Project title

Now with added Iron! Incorporating Iron into Recycled Lithium Battery Cathodes to Conserve Critical Raw Materials

Primary Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

I aim to develop a new route to recycling rechargeable lithium batteries that also substitutes some of the cobalt content for iron to produce a more sustainable and cheaper battery material. Based on the group�s current research, the project will find low-energy methods of generating lithium-containing framework materials and oxide-halide compounds as battery cathodes to replace expensive current cobalt-based technologies. Iron is an Earth-abundant metal with favourable properties for use in battery cells for applications such as electric vehicles. By incorporating it into recovered post-consumer waste batteries, significant savings in production and materials costs can be realised. By doing this, we aim to reduce the use of cobalt mined under conditions of human rights abuses, deal with the impending increase in electric vehicle battery waste and to decrease Ireland�s (and Europe�s) dependency on outside sources for batteries for electric vehicles � a vital part of meeting Ireland�s climate emissions targets.

Grant Approved

�110,000

Research Hub

Climate related research

Research Theme

Achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Start Date

01/09/2021

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/08/2025