The United States Council for Automotive Research’s Vehicle Recycling Partnership awarded a contract to OnTo Technology LLC, Bend, Ore., to research and develop technology to recycle advanced batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles. USCAR is made up of DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Co., and General Motors Corp.
The research will involve two kinds of advanced battery chemistries – nickel-metal hydride and lithium ion – and will examine the technical feasibility of recycling these automotive batteries, based upon laboratory scale experiments to evaluate the utility of materials produced from various recycling processes. The results will be used to project the investment necessary to adopt new recycling technologies in pilot scale operations.
"Hybrid-electric vehicles are more fuel efficient, but require high power and energy advanced battery packs. Because of these requirements, they are larger than the highly recycled lead acid batteries found in conventional vehicles," said USCAR Executive Director Don Walkowicz. "USCAR’s Vehicle Recycling Partnership, representing the three U.S. automakers, is working to get ahead of the curve by promoting new technologies to recycle these batteries when hybrid vehicles reach their end-of-life."
OnTo Technology develops new and clean processes to recycle advanced batteries from consumer electronics. "We will use our technology to recycle HEV and EV batteries," said Steven Sloop, founder and CEO of OnTo Technology LLC. The company has received support from the Oregon Department of Energy to build a pilot plant in Bend, Ore.
"We recycle advanced batteries to recover micro- and nanomaterials for reuse in new batteries. It goes beyond the usual smelting solution, where these valuable materials are burned, and only the crude metal mixtures are recovered," Sloop explained.
To maximize the recycling yield, OnTo will work in collaboration with Applied Intellectual Capital of Emeryville, Calif. AIC’s core expertise is in electrochemical technology, nanomaterials and advanced separations.
The research is expected to conclude in six months.
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