Hydrochemical and pyrochemical recycling of metals from batteries

Research Project, 2013 – 2015

Our research group has previously developed a dedicated resource efficient recycling process for NiMH batteries from Toyota Prius in lab scale. Our aim is now to develop this process in pilot scale together with the participating companies using the test bed for hydochemical metal recycling which is being developed. This work will mainly be performed by an assistant professor. The focus will be on combining the development of an automatisised fragmenter of the batteries to suitable parts with the development of a suitable separation process. This will be performed iteratively with the participating technical companies. At the finalisation of the project a small pilot plant should be finished where is is possible (still with manual work) to handle battery packages and create pure product streams of the selected metal phases. Thus is is not obvious at this stage that there actually will be a separation of all the lanthanides from eachother of this is not profitable.