Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/759903
66 www.resourceworld.com D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 Developments in Green Technology by Jane Bratun grEEN TECHNOlOgiES sPent lithiuM Batteries BecoMe feed- stock for lithiuM-ion recYclinG The demand for electric vehicle (EV) lithium battery cathode materials is out- stripping available supply. One factor driving demand is that first generation EV batteries are reaching their end-of-life phase. The Commission on Environmental Cooperation estimates that by 2030, almost 1.5 million EV batteries will reach end of life. They also estimate that by that time, close to half of these spent EV bat- teries will be lithium-based. These spent batteries are now becoming a feedstock for lithium-ion recycling efforts. To meet this demand, American Manganese Inc. (AMI) [AMY-TSXV], which initially devel- oped its patented process to exploit the largest known manganese deposit in the Southwest US at Artillery Peak, Arizona, is completing a proof-of-concept study to show that lithium-cobalt oxide can be leached from the spent EV batteries, and that the leached cobalt and lithium can then be reconstituted to produce cathode materials for reuse in lithium-ion batteries. AMI has partnered with Kemetco Research Inc., a private laboratory located in Richmond, British Columbia, to dem- onstrate on a bench scale AMI's process for recovering high-grade material from the spent lithium-ion battery cathode materials. AMI's proof-of-concept Phase 1 leaching study shows extractions of 100% for lithium and cobalt achieved from cathode powders used for lithium-ion bat- teries. The Phase II study shows 91% of the cobalt and 60% of the lithium can be precipitated from the leach solution in one pass. According to an AMI September 16, 2016 press release, by repeating the cycle multiple times they expect to increase the lithium recovery to over 90%. "The company has successfully com- pleted Phase III of its scoping test program to build prototype coin-cell (also known as a button cell or watch batteries) recharge- able batteries from the reconstituted lithium and cobalt powders generated to- date," says Larry Reaugh, AMI President and CEO. "The successful results of the company's process have been sufficiently proved to justify filing a US Provisional Patent Application of the company's pro- prietary process." This process is applicable to multiple lithium-ion battery chemistries, including lithium cobalt, lithium-aluminum cobalt, lithium-nickel manganese cobalt, and lith- ium-manganese, and provides the ability to tailor treatment processes to precipitate cathode materials with tailored structures and chemistries for improved battery performance. If successful, AMI's patented process will reduce the demand for new cathode materials, notably lithium and cobalt. It will provide a source of lower-cost recycled cath- ode materials, potentially generating higher profit margins for battery manufacturers. And, the hydrometallurgical processing eliminates product crushing and grinding, potentially improving battery safety by generating products with less extraneous metal contamination (purchased commercial battery grade LiCo 3 O 4 tested out at 97% LiCo 3 O 4 pure, while AMI's process promises 100% pure powder), lowering the chances of battery explosions or fires due to shorts caused by thermal run-away. As well as reducing the need for new mines, other environmental benefits of using recycled cathode materials include substantial reduc- tion of landfill waste, energy consumption reduction, CO 2 and other pollutant emis- sions reduction, and reduced critical and strategic metal consumption. dent island Gets tidal Power Generator With its partners, Headwaters Foundation and Dent Island Lodge, Water Wall Turbine Inc. (WWT), located in Lions Bay, British Columbia, has built a tidal power generator to supply electricity to the Dent Island Lodge. The lodge is located in the Desolation Sound area of coastal British Columbia, north of the Campbell River. The technical solution harvests tidal and river stream energy and comprises an anchored floating structure with a large turbine that rotates at slow speed. This patented technology provides high-efficiency energy extraction almost double that of conventional propeller- driven devices. The technology is easily scalable from half a megawatt (MW) per unit to 5 MW per unit. These units may also be linked in series across wider chan- nels or strung out along tidal or river channels to larger multiples of power.