Researchers at MU develop profitable method to recycle lithium-ion batteries

The disposal of these batteries, particularly those used in electric vehicles, is complex due to their large size, weight, and the hazardous substances they contain. The new research provides an economically viable solution which allows for the recovery of lithium and other metals.

It also allows conversion of carbon, the largest component in batteries, into graphene oxide, a versatile and valuable material. According to researchers, this breakthrough not only promises to make the battery industry more profitable but also increases its demand.

Researcher Roshan Rane, under the supervision of Dr. Vishwanath Patil from the Department of Chemistry at Mumbai University and Dr. Sunil Peshne from the Swachh Urja Alliance, collaborated for this innovative project.
A patent for this research has been registered with the government and has been published in the international journal of Sustainable Materials and Technologies (Impact Factor -10.68).

Dr. Patil said, “Lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in our current era, powering a wide range of devices from smartphones to electric cars. However, the materials required for these batteries are largely imported, and the discarded batteries pose significant environmental concerns due to the harmful chemicals they contain. India, in particular, generates a substantial amount of Li-ion battery e-waste.

Globally only five percent are recycled. While mostly the research work in this area is focused at increasing the life of these batteries, which is not more than 5-6 years. We decided to focus on recycling. This innovative recycling project promises not only to reduce e-waste but also to create new high-capacity Li-ion batteries, making it an environmentally beneficial initiative.”