Automated Disassembly of Lithium Batteries; Methods, Challenges, and a Roadmap

Abstract

Many factors contribute to complexity of e-waste management, notably hazard of volatile batteries. Batteries including Lithium-Ion (LIBs) and Lithium Polymers (LiPo) store large amounts of energy contributing to high number of battery fires. Batteries with volatile chemistries, damaged, or swollen can spontaneously combust due to electrolytic leakages while proximity to other batteries can initiate a chain reaction. Since upstream lifecycle of batteries is resource intensive, recycling offers potential for reducing their environmental impacts. To reduce waste fires risks, used batteries must be separated. Battery fires are frequent due to disturbance in transport to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), commonly igniting adjacent waste post arrival at MRFs. This paper explores methods that can be used to design a framework for identification/separation of batteries by their properties upon their arrival to MRFs, with minimal human interaction to decrease the risk of damage to infrastructure and human injury.