Liquid discovered to revive 'dead' electric vehicle batteries

Researchers at Cornell University have introduced a new technology for recycling lithium-ion batteries. This method allows for the restoration of batteries without complex and expensive processes. Instead of grinding batteries into powder or melting materials, scientists propose cleaning and reusing existing electrodes. This development is called DEER (Direct Electrode-to-Electrode Regeneration). This is reported by Ixbt.com .

Currently, most used batteries are recycled in two ways: smelting at high temperatures or grinding them into a 'black mass' to chemically extract valuable metals. Both processes require significant amounts of energy, water, and reagents. The new approach allows for working without dismantling the main parts of the battery.

According to the study's authors, the main cause of battery degradation is not the destruction of the electrodes, but the formation of a layer of unwanted chemical compounds on their surface. This layer hinders the movement of lithium ions, resulting in reduced battery capacity. The DEER technology involves cleaning the electrodes in a solution based on a special substance called DMI (1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone).

In laboratory tests, scientists managed to restore up to 95 percent of the batteries' initial capacity. Economic modeling showed that the new method could reduce the production cost of batteries by approximately 56 percent compared to traditional recycling. Additionally, this technology significantly reduces energy and water consumption as well as the amount of harmful waste.

The developers believe this method will be highly relevant as the market for electric vehicles and energy storage systems grows. Currently, the technology has been successfully tested on batteries that have retained 70–80 percent of their capacity. The next step is to scale the process to an industrial level and work on more complex cases of degradation.