Waste Lithium-Ion Batteries Being Recycled

Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries Being Recycled At Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, raw materials recovered from spent lithium-ion batteries, predominantly used in electric vehicles, are being utilized in new battery production. At Osmaniye Korkut Ata University (OKÜ), the Battery Systems and Hydrogen Technologies Department at the Institute of Science has been conducting research on lithium-ion batteries—widely preferred in electric vehicles and devices—for the past six months. Faculty members and graduate students are examining spent batteries in laboratory conditions, separating critical materials such as anodes, cathodes, and separators. The team, which refurbishes the batteries for reuse, is also utilizing raw materials extracted from end-of-life products in manufacturing processes.

"All of them contain valuable materials"

Department Head Assoc. Prof. Murat Farsak stated that global demand for lithium-ion batteries is increasing daily. Emphasizing the importance of raw material procurement in battery production, Farsak said, "By 2030, approximately 7,000 gigawatt-hours of battery production is projected worldwide. To accomplish this, we need to extract millions of tons of minerals. This also brings with it factors contributing to global warming."

Farsak, noting that their work contributes to recycling, continued as follows:

"From selected batteries, we disassemble those that cannot be reused down to their electrodes, extract their raw materials, and transform them into new forms. We then use these materials in battery production again. We cannot throw spent batteries away because they all contain valuable materials. Continuous efforts are being developed toward making battery recycling available for reuse. Our goal is to conduct battery conversions with high recycling efficiency."  

Domestic battery production is targeted

Assoc. Prof. Farsak, expressing their objectives to develop battery internal cells and materials, stated the following: "Currently we can manufacture anodes and cathodes, but we have to source separators from outside. Once we are able to produce separators as well, we can create a domestic resource that Turkey can access. In this scope, within the framework of university and industry cooperation, we have made an agreement with a company in Adana to accomplish this. God willing, we aim to produce a battery system that is entirely domestic and manufacturable." Farsak noted that they submitted domestic lithium-ion battery production projects to TUBITAK, stating, "As a result of our work, we will produce entirely domestic lithium-ion batteries, use what we produce, and be able to recycle products whose useful life has ended."   Source