On science
Researchers Antti Porvali and Shila Jafari engaging in dissolution and precipitation of rare earth elements from nickel metal hydride battery waste.
Rare metals need efficient recycling Text: Timo Hämäläinen Photo: Glen Forde
How can the valuable ingredients of batteries be recovered? What could replace bismuth, tellurium and many other rarities? These are some of the issues being examined by the CloseLoop project. “THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY is often
thought to encompass the bioeconomy and waste recycling. We at CloseLoop highlight the significance of rare metals as a part of the circular economy,” says Professor Maarit Karppinen. CloseLoop is a joint Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and University of Helsinki Consumer Society Research Centre research project. It is motivated by a global concern for the sufficient availability of rare metals. Aalto is concentrating on researching 40 / AALTO UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 22
and developing the refining and recycling processes of the chemicals and rare metals utilised in lithium-based batteries, which are used as energy stores. Thermoelectric devices, which generate electricity from heat, are another research subject.
Tailored processes
Demand for lithium batteries is growing strongly because of the electrification of traffic, although batteries are also used for grid energy storage.
“Less than one percent of lithium is recycled. If just one third of the existing fleet of cars were to be replaced by electric vehicles, lithium production would have to increase manifold,” expert Pertti Kauranen points out. Only some five percent of batteries get recycled. Along with lithium, this squanders other metals like nickel and cobalt that batteries contain. Cobalt is a so-called critical raw material, listed by the EU Commission most recently in 2017.