• Paper

    Yasunori Kikuchi, Associate Professor

Two research papers from the joint research project by Assoc. Prof. Kikuchi’s group published at “Waste Management”

In order to achieve efficient reuse and recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries, a new electrical method for separating the cathode active material from the current collector aluminum foil using high-voltage pulse discharge has been developed through joint research. The result is that cobalt and other metal resources, which can normally only be recovered by heat treatment or pyrometallurgy followed by hydrometallurgy, can now be returned directly to the hydrometallurgical process as the cathode particles by using high-voltage pulses. Furthermore, the cathode particles retain the chemical composition of the active material and can be directly recovered for reuse.

In this research and development, the experimental development was combined with a prospective life cycle assessment to evaluate the future potential of the technology. The experimental design was carried out while searching for the conditions under which the life cycle environmental impact of the lithium-ion battery could be reduced.

[Part I]Research title:


Separation of cathode particles and aluminum current foil in Lithium-ion battery by high-voltage pulsed discharge part I: Experimental investigation,

Joint Researchers:


Chiharu Tokoro, Soowon Lim, Kaito Teruya, Masataka Kondo, Kazuhiro Mochizuki, Takao Namihira, Yasunori Kikuchi

Journal:


Waste Management, 125, 58-66 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.01.008

[Part II]Research title:


Separation of cathode particles and aluminum current foil in lithium-ion battery by high-voltage pulsed discharge Part II: Prospective life cycle assessment based on experimental data

Joint Researchers:


Yasunori Kikuchi, Izuru Suwa, Aya Heiho, Yi Dou, Soowon Lim, Takao Namihira, Kazuhiro Mochidzuki, Taketoshi Koita, Chiharu Tokoro

Journal:


Waste Management, 132, 86-95 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.07.016

Contact:


Yasunori Kikuchi
Associate Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives
https://ifi.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/people/kikuchi-yasunori/