Battery recycling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021351450-A1
Application number	US-202117313865-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 6, 2021
Priority date	May 7, 2020
Publication date	Nov 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various embodiments relate to several processes that may recover commodity chemicals from an alkaline metal-air battery. In various embodiments, while the cell is operating, various side products and waste streams may be collected and processed to regain use or additional value. Various embodiments also include processes to be performed after the cell has been disassembled, and each of its electrodes have been separated such as not to be an electrical hazard. The alkaline metal battery recycling processes described herein may provide multiple forms of commodity iron, high purity transition metal ores, fluoropolymer dispersions, various carbons, commodity chemicals, and catalyst dispersions.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
decommissioning an electrochemical system; and converting a metal electrode of the electrochemical system into a commodity metal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the commodity metal is iron.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the commodity metal is direct reduced iron (DRI).

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein converting a metal electrode of the electrochemical system into a commodity metal comprises pumping a solvent into the electrochemical system.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the solvent is an aqueous solution, saltwater, an alkaline solution, or an organic solvent.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the solvent causes an exothermic reaction used for heat in an energy plant.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein converting a metal electrode of the electrochemical system into a commodity metal comprises removing the metal electrode, drying the metal electrode and/or treating the metal electrode, and reducing and/or dissolving the metal electrode.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal electrode is used to form metal-based concrete.

9 . A method of operating an electrochemical system, comprising:
operating the electrochemical system to generate side produces and/or waste streams; and capturing the side products and/or the waste streams to capture additional value materials from the electrochemical system.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the additional value materials are commodity iron, high purity transition metal ores, fluoropolymer dispersions, various carbons, commodity chemicals, and/or catalyst dispersions.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising using the one or more captured waste streams for water capture, hydrogen capture, heat energy capture, regeneration of CO 2 scrubbing agents, and/or electrolyte recycling.

12 . A method comprising:
capturing a rechargeable alkaline manganese (RAM) cathode of an electrochemical system decay product; and using the decay product as an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst in an air electrode.

13 . A method comprising:
operating an electrochemical system; and recapturing electrode materials from the electrochemical system, wherein the recapturing comprises:
recycling bimetallic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrodes;
treating a gas diffusion electrode to restore surface hydrophobicity; and/or
separating components of a gas diffusion electrode for different use streams.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrochemical system is a bulk energy storage system.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrochemical system comprises a long duration energy storage system configured to hold an electrical charge for at least 24 hours.

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Perkins Nicholas Reed
• Caruso Isabella
• Mumma Rachel Elizabeth
• Tran Anthony
• Chakraborty Rupak
• Via Matthew Edward
• Newhouse Jocelyn Marie
• Milshtein Jarrod David
• Su Liang
• Gibson Michael Andrew
• Smith Danielle Cassidy
• Woodford William Henry
• Kharey Amelie Nina

Classifications

• H01M6/52

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste cells or batteries {, e.g. recycling} · CPC title

• Y02P10/134

  by avoiding CO2, e.g. using hydrogen · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M12/06

  with one metallic and one gaseous electrode · CPC title

• H01M10/54 Primary

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title