Since the first synthesis of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) as active cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIB) in 1996, it has gained a considerable market share and further growth is expected. Main applications are the fast-growing sectors electromobility and to a lesser extend stationary energy storage. Despite increasing return flows, so far, little emphasis has been put on the recycling of LFP batteries due to the low content of high-value metals. In this study, current developments in the LFP battery market are presented. Furthermore, recycling processes for LIBs are reviewed and their applicability for LFP batteries is assessed. Currently, China is the main market for LFP batteries and rapidly increasing return flows are observed. In Europe and the USA, other battery chemistries are predominant. For LFP battery recycling, individually adaptable processes based on mechanical treatment of the cells followed by hydrometallurgical processing of the active cathode material seem to be the most promising approach. However, at present, these processes are only available at pilot scale, the profitability and their environmental performance are questionable. Therefore, further research addressing these challenges is urgently needed.
The Lithium-electric Excavator Hydraulic System (Li-EEHS) is based on economic analysis of energy consumption, and it has changed the excavator counterweight into Lithium-ion Battery in order to replace the engine. A computational analysis which takes the Qingdao heavy industry excavator HW130 as the example demonstrates the accessibility of the scheme. The total efficiency of the excavator has been improved from 7% to 17.1% by the Li-EEHS without energy regeneration, while the cost has been decreased from 750¥/day into 240¥/day. And the cost recovery will take around 3.3 years (about 500,000¥).The article typically analyzes the system scheme and the working features for 4 major Li-EEHS.
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