recycled materials

This study identifies the current pathways for retired EV batteries in the United States and Canada and anticipates how the network might evolve in the future.

Researchers undertook a dynamic global material flow analysis of pack-level materials that includes scenario analysis for changing battery cathode chemistries and electric vehicle demand.

This research assesses whether these technological innovations change the currently understood waste hierarchy, which prioritizes reuse or repurposing prior to recycling.

The European Union has proposed recycled content standards (RCSs) to help drive a circular battery ecosystem. This analysis calculates feasible RCSs for the US based on future sale projections, techno-economic assessment, life cycle assessment, and material flow analysis.

Lithium-ion battery recycling can decrease life cycle environmental impacts of electric vehicles (EVs) and assist in securing domestic supply chains; however, the US has no policies for recycling of batteries at their end-of-life. This analysis calculates feasible RCSs for the US based on future sale projections, techno-economic assessment, life cycle assessment, and material flow analysis.

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) advancements include the use of rapidly evolving and chemically diverse batteries as well as larger battery packs, raising concerns about battery production sustainability as well as battery end-of-life (EoL). This study seeks to respond to these concerns by analyzing potential pathways for EoL EV batteries, quantifies flows of retiring EV battery materials, proposes economically and environmentally preferable LIB EoL strategies, and recommends pertinent policies with an emphasis on environmental justice.

The main goal of this dissertation was to develop frameworks, quantitative models, and databases needed to support data-driven, informed, and integrated decision-making in managing the vast transportation infrastructure in California.

This research assesses whether the development of reduced-cobalt energy dense cathode chemistry and the use of columnar silicon thin film anode will change the currently understood waste hierarchy of lithium-ion batteries, which prioritizes reuse or repurposing prior to recycling. The assessment considers the life cycle environmental impacts of two end-of-life management routes for a high-cobalt LIB: first, recycling the battery immediately after the first use life to produce a new, and less material intensive battery, and second, repurposing the battery for a stationary storage application followed by recycling.