Has the Recycling of Lithium Ion Batteries Raw Materials Become Necessary?

Abstract

The total supply chain for the production of lithium ion batteries critically involves recycling, because either there isn't enough production of lithium, cobalt, and titanium or the supplies of them are geopolitically constrained or limited. The world base metal commodity glut has simultaneously slowed or stopped the production of the technology metals and materials necessary to produce lithium ion batteries. In fact without additonal or new supplies from existing mines the production of lithium ion batteries may need to be slowed and matched to the recycling of the critical materials. Finally the recycling of lithium ion batteries to recover the raw materials used in their construction is itself a step in more than one supply chain. Corodination among the separate supply chains for lithium salts; battery grade graphite; cobalt; and titanium will also be necessary. Has American industry recognized this problem? Even if so, can solutions be implemented in time to support the rapid build up of the electric vehicle ramp up now under way?