With L & F's waste power, Doosan Enerbility will extracts lithium with its patented technology that selectively separates lithium using distilled water and extracts lithium carbonate through electro-adsorption crystallization technology. The process is simple and eco-friendly because it does not use chemicals.
Lithium carbonate is an important industrial chemical. Its main use is as a precursor for compounds used in lithium-ion batteries. A cathode is composed of thin aluminum substrates and compounds that include active material, conductive additive and binder. Cathode-active materials are composed of lithium and metal.
"As the battery market has expanded rapidly along with the electric vehicle market, the demand for lithium has been steadily increasing," Doosan Enerbility's strategic innovation division head Song Yong-jin said in a statement on November 1. "We will establish a virtuous cycle structure for the battery recycling business through cooperation with L&F and actively participate in the rapidly growing lithium market."
Secondary batteries, also known as rechargeable batteries including lithium-ion batteries, have become a key industry that would shape the future of renewable energy. The battery recycling market would grow as the use of recycled raw materials will be mandatory from 2030 with Europe at the forefront. Battery makers are developing technologies to recycle battery packs for electric vehicles as lithium-ion battery-powered cars are just now coming to the mass market worldwide.