Job title:
PhD (M/F): Recycling Li-ion batteries by a solar thermochemical process
Company:
Job description
Offer DescriptionThe PROMES laboratory is a CNRS Unit (UPR 8521) belonging to the Institute of Engineering and Systems Sciences (INSIS), under agreement with the University of Perpignan via Domitia (UPVD). The laboratory is located on three sites: Odeillo-Font Romeu (1 MW solar furnace of the CNRS), Targasonne (Thémis, 5 MW tower power plant, site of the Conseil Départemental des PO) and Perpignan, Tecnosud. The laboratory gathers about 150 people from CNRS and UPVD around a federating subject, solar energy and its valorization as a source of energy and high temperatures. PROMES leads the laboratory of excellence (Labex) SOLSTICE (SOLAR: Sciences, Technologies, Innovations for Energy Conversion)
Research is organized into three main themes,
– Materials for Energy and Space (MES)
– Next Generation Solar Power Plants (NGSPP)
– Storage and Solar Chemistry (SSC).The thesis will be performed at the interface between MES and NGSPP under the supervision of Ludovic Charpentier and Gilles Flamant.
The PhD thesis is part of the “SHIP4D” project devoted to the solarization of industrial heat. SHIP4D is one of the projects of the SLEEN programme related to decarbonation of heat in industry.Materials and Li-ion batteries
A lithium-ion battery is composed of five main components: anode, cathode, separator, electrolyte and current collector. The anode is a copper foil coated with graphite; the cathode is an aluminum foil coated with an electrochemically active material. The active material is usually a lithium transition metal oxide LiMO2, (where M stands for Co, Ni, Mn, Al) or NMC (Ni, Mn and Co) and NCA (Ni, Co and Al) materials, with different ratios between particular metals. The adhesion between the Al foil and the active material is improved by a polymeric binder, most often polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Ionic conductivity is provided by an electrolyte such as mixtures of alkyl carbonates and Li salts, such as LiPF6.
The quantities of strategic metals per kWh of storage capacity are as follows
Lithium: 0.10 kg/kWh – 0.05 kg/kWh
Cobalt: 0.13 kg/kWh – 0.03 kg/kWh
Nickel: 0.48 kg/kWh – 0.39 kg/kWh
Among the components present in li-ion batteries, Co is the most studied metal for recycling because of its relatively high price. In addition to Co, Li and Ni are also common target elements for recycling.Conventional recycling processes for Li-ion batteries
Given the very high demand, particularly for electric vehicles, the current priority is to increase production capacity, with the risk that environmental and even ethical issues will be relegated to the background while a climate crisis looms. Recycling is therefore a strategic element of this development in order to create a virtuous loop of circular economy.
Recycling Li-ion batteries is a delicate operation that is not yet fully automated because there are no standardization norms for the design of battery packs. Recycling presents electrical, thermal and chemical risks that need to be controlled.
The operation is generally carried out in 4 stages:
-Stabilization
-Pre-treatment
-Separation: a black mass is obtained
-Treatment of the black mass either by hydrometallurgy (acid dissolution then extraction); or by pyrometallurgy (pyrolysis then reduction of the oxides). This reduction step is very energy consuming, requiring temperatures up to 1475°C for 30 minutes.The proposed innovative solar process
This project aims at developing a solar pyrometallurgical process for the recovery of electrode materials derived from used lithium ion batteries and thus replace a CO2 emitting energy (combustion) by a renewable non-emitting energy.
This process is divided into two steps:
On the one hand, a thermal pre-treatment by pyrolysis, which is a technology currently recommended in the battery recycling industries for the removal of binder and organic impurities as well as the separation of electrode materials and copper/aluminum foils.
On the other hand, an in-situ carbothermal reduction step to separate the transition metals in metallic form. The graphite recovered from the anode will be the reducing agent.Methodology
The methodology implements three multidisciplinary aspects combining theoretical, experimental and modeling approaches,
Theoretical approach: thermodynamics (phase equilibrium),
Experimental approach: prototype solar reactor and characterization of reactants and products,
Modeling: coupled transfers of energy, matter and chemical reactions.
We propose the following approach:
– Synthesis of existing recycling methods;
– Establishment of a protocol based on pyrometallurgical methods;
– Thermodynamic study of phase equilibrium at high temperatures;
– Experiments at the scale of a 1 kW solar furnace;
– Characterization of the obtained products;
– Modeling of the process (coupling of heat and material transfers and chemical reactions);
– Development of a process concept on an industrial scale.
Preliminary work has given very encouraging results from a two-step protocol: pyrolysis at 580°C and carbo-reduction at 1000°C.RequirementsResearch Field Engineering Education Level PhD or equivalentResearch Field Chemistry Education Level PhD or equivalentResearch Field Physics Education Level PhD or equivalentLanguages FRENCH Level BasicResearch Field Engineering Years of Research Experience NoneResearch Field Chemistry Years of Research Experience NoneResearch Field Physics Years of Research Experience NoneAdditional InformationAdditional commentsThe Priority Research and Equipment Program (PEPR) “Supporting innovation to develop new, largely decarbonized industrial processes” (SPLEEN) is part of the France 2030 national acceleration strategy “Decarbonizing industry”, and aims to prepare a technological offering and breakthrough solutions that will help France meet its climate commitments by 2050, and strengthen national sovereignty over technologies dedicated to decarbonization. Website for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Laboratoire Procédés, Matériaux et Energie Solaire Country France City FONT ROMEU ODEILLO VIA GeofieldWhere to apply WebsiteContact CityFONT ROMEU ODEILLO VIA WebsiteSTATUS: EXPIRED
Expected salary
Location
Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, Pyrénées-Orientales
Job date
Mon, 15 Apr 2024 07:36:22 GMT
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