Exhausted Batteries Research Articles

Contribution of graphene oxide obtained from exhausted batteries in polypropylene compositions: mechanical, thermal and rheological properties

Contribution of graphene oxide obtained from exhausted batteries in polypropylene compositions: mechanical, thermal and rheological properties

Analysis of Mixing Efficiency in a Stirred Reactor Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Lead recycling is very important for reducing environmental pollution risks and damages. Liquid lead is recovered from exhaust batteries inside stirred batch reactors; the process requires melting to be cleaned. Nevertheless, it is necessary to establish parameters for evaluating mixing to improve the efficiency of the industrial practices. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become a powerful tool to analyze industrial processes for reducing operating costs, avoiding potential damages, and improving the equipment’s performance. Thus, the present work is focused on simulating the fluid hydrodynamics inside a lead-stirred reactor monitoring the distribution of an injected tracer in order to find the best injection point. Then, different injected points are placed on a control plane for evaluation; these are evaluated one by one by monitoring the tracer concentration at a group of points inside the batch. The analyzed reactor is a symmetrical, vertical batch reactor with two geometrical sections: one cylindrical body and a semi-spherical bottom. Here, one impeller with four flat blades in a shaft is used for lead stirring. The tracer concentration on the monitoring points is measured and averaged for evaluating the efficiency inside the tank reactor. Hydrodynamics theory and a comparison between the concentration profiles and distribution of tracer curves are used to demonstrate both methods’ similarities. Then, the invariability of the tracer concentration on the monitoring points is adopted as the main parameter to evaluate the mixing, and the best injection point is found as a function of the shortest mixing time. Additionally, the influence of the impeller rotation speed is analyzed as an additional control parameter to improve industrial practices.

The impact of communication and proximity on citizens’ sustainable disposal of e-waste

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to demonstrate how decision-makers can enhance citizens’ sustainable disposal of e-waste through bin proximity and ad hoc communication. Specifically, the authors discuss a two-year research project that took place in Northern Italy, where the authors documented the number of products disposed of sustainably in four towns.Design/methodology/approachThe project involved five main groups of stakeholders: i) four municipalities, ii) one social purpose organisation employing people with disabilities, (i.e. Andromeda), iii) one provider of bins (i.e. PubliCittà), iv) another social purpose organisation entity (i.e. Fondazione CRT) and v) the University of Portsmouth. After conducting three online pilot tests to confirm expectations of this study regarding how to enhance citizens’ sustainable disposal of e-waste, the authors have implemented the field pilot programme in a small municipality and successively in other three towns. Finally, the authors measured the impact of the programme on the actual recycling rate of citizens in the three target municipalities.FindingsThe authors found that the positioning of drop-off bins in such a way as to reduce the distance from as many households as possible, along with the use of communication that facilitates the understanding of information related to sustainable disposal schemes, can improve the sustainable behaviour of citizens. The sustainable disposal of exhausted batteries after the intervention improved by 135% on average in the three municipalities that adopted the disposal scheme (Saluggia, San Benigno Canavese and Santhiá). The disposal rate of toners and electronics increased by 204.0% and 318.75% (San Benigno Canavese) and 138.7% and 85.4% (Santhiá), respectively.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors believe it would be cautious to consider potential differences in terms of recycling cultures and facilities before implementing the programme in other countries.Practical implicationsThe authors’ contribution shows decision-makers how to effectively design disposal schemes to enhance citizens' sustainable behaviour. The authors demonstrate how the thoughtful and responsible use of marketing levers can affect environmental sustainability and impact social development.Social implicationsThis paper has an actual impact on society by changing citizens’ behaviour, reducing harm to the environment and human well-being and supporting the inclusion of disadvantaged people in sustainability-oriented programmes.Originality/valueThe structured and equitable engagement of scholars with multiple stakeholders can lead to the co-creation of societal value and knowledge and improve the well-being of multiple stakeholders. The collaboration between academics and practitioners enables the definition of effective strategies by observing the actual behaviour of individuals (i.e. citizens) and offers a direct and measurable impact on society. The involvement of social purpose organisations reinforces the shared primary aim of achieving measurable social and environmental impact.

ID: 212903 An Injectable Wire Mesh Electrode (BASMATI Injectrode) Enables Minimally Invasive Stimulation Therapy in Clinical Trial

Individuals suffering from chronic pain undergo surgical procedures to receive neuromodulation devices, often requiring revision surgery to replace an exhausted battery with a new device. There is a need to eliminate revision surgery with a minimally invasive device. The Injectrode is an injectable electrode designed for rapid placement and removal by a minimally invasive procedure. Here we present data from a non-significant risk clinical trial to assess the safety and function of the Injectrode via a subcutaneously placed gold mesh (BASMATI Injectrode) for 28 days.

Performance optimization and broadband design of piezoelectric energy harvesters based on isogeometric topology optimization framework

Energy harvesting is attracting considerable attention in devices that cannot replace exhausted batteries, where improving the energy harvesting efficiency of piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) through different optimization methods is always a research hotspot. This paper proposes an isogeometric topology optimization framework to implement the simultaneous optimization of fiber angles and piezoelectric material and reveal the feasibility of broadband design for PEHs. We deduce the isogeometric formulation of PEHs based on Kirchhoff plate theory and Hamilton's principle. The optimization formulations are established with minimum energy factor or maximum output power considered, and the distributions of fiber angles and piezoelectric material are respectively defined by the Heaviside Penalization of Discrete Material Optimization (HPDMO) model and the Piezoelectric Material with Penalization (PEMAP) model. The numerical results show that there is only a slight difference in the optimized designs of fiber angles between the static load and harmonic load when the objective function is the minimum energy factor. Furthermore, taking maximum output power as the objective function, resistance has a substantial effect on the optimized distributions of fiber angles and piezoelectric material, and there is an optimal resistance making the output power of the optimized design increase 9 times compared with the initial model. More important, by combining the designability of composite material, the proposed method is extended to the broadband design of PEHs. It is concluded that the optimized design can not only generate two resonance peaks in the predetermined frequency range but also the second-order output power amplitude is 14 times higher than that of the benchmark model.

On spot detection of nickel and cobalt from exhausted batteries by a smart electrochemical sensor

This work presents the realization and the application of an user-friendly electrochemical platform based on screen-printed electrodes for the simultaneous determination of nickel and cobalt ions in real samples by means of square wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry (SWAdSV). The sensor was realized by electrodepositing in situ a bismuth film onto graphite screen-printed electrodes (GSPEs). The sensor surface was fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).The experimental conditions for the determination of nickel and cobalt in the form of dimethylglyoximate complexes were studied and optimized. Linear calibration curves for Ni(II) and Co(II), determined individually and together, in the range 10–40 μg/L for nickel and 10–60 μg/L for cobalt, respectively, were obtained. The limits of detection for nickel and cobalt determination were 2.5 μg/L and 2.4 μg/L, respectively. The performance of the sensor in terms of reproducibility and selectivity was also studied. The applicability of the developed platform was assessed by determining nickel and cobalt in samples deriving from an industrial process of recycling exhausted batteries and in soil samples.

Understanding 'monitoring' data-the association between measured stressors and athlete responses within a holistic basketball performance framework.

This study examined associations between cumulative training load, travel demands and recovery days with athlete-reported outcome measures (AROMs) and countermovement jump (CMJ) performance in professional basketball. Retrospective analysis was performed on data collected from 23 players (mean±SD: age = 24.7±2.5 years, height = 198.3±7.6 cm, body mass = 98.1±9.0 kg, wingspan = 206.8±8.4 cm) from 2018–2020 in the National Basketball Association G-League. Linear mixed models were used to describe variation in AROMs and CMJ data in relation to cumulative training load (previous 3- and 10-days), hours travelled (previous 3- and 10-day), days away from the team’s home city, recovery days (i.e., no travel/minimal on-court activity) and individual factors (e.g., age, fatigue, soreness). Cumulative 3-day training load had negative associations with fatigue, soreness, and sleep, while increased recovery days were associated with improved soreness scores. Increases in hours travelled and days spent away from home over 10 days were associated with increased sleep quality and duration. Cumulative training load over 3 and 10 days, hours travelled and days away from home city were all associated with changes in CMJ performance during the eccentric phase. The interaction of on-court and travel related stressors combined with individual factors is complex, meaning that multiple athletes response measures are needed to understand fatigue and recovery cycles. Our findings support the utility of the response measures presented (i.e., CMJ and AROMs), but this is not an exhaustive battery and practitioners should consider what measures may best inform training periodization within the context of their environment/sport.

The Many Faces of Lipids in Genome Stability (and How to Unmask Them).

Deep efforts have been devoted to studying the fundamental mechanisms ruling genome integrity preservation. A strong focus relies on our comprehension of nucleic acid and protein interactions. Comparatively, our exploration of whether lipids contribute to genome homeostasis and, if they do, how, is severely underdeveloped. This disequilibrium may be understood in historical terms, but also relates to the difficulty of applying classical lipid-related techniques to a territory such as a nucleus. The limited research in this domain translates into scarce and rarely gathered information, which with time further discourages new initiatives. In this review, the ways lipids have been demonstrated to, or very likely do, impact nuclear transactions, in general, and genome homeostasis, in particular, are explored. Moreover, a succinct yet exhaustive battery of available techniques is proposed to tackle the study of this topic while keeping in mind the feasibility and habits of “nucleus-centered” researchers.

Advanced cathode for dual-ion batteries: Waste-to-wealth reuse of spent graphite from lithium-ion batteries

The amount of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is constantly increasing as their popularity grows. It is important to develop a recycling method that cannot only convert large amounts of waste anode graphite into high value-added products but is also simple and environmentally friendly. In this work, spent graphite from an anode was transformed into a cathode for dual-ion batteries (DIBs) through a two-step treatment. This method enables the crystal structure and morphology of spent graphite to recover from the adverse effects of long cycling and be restored to a regular layered structure with appropriate layer spacing for anion intercalation. In addition, pyrolysis of the solid electrolyte interphase into an amorphous carbon layer prevents the electrode from degrading and improves its cycling performance. The recycled negative graphite has a high reversible capacity of 87 mAh g−1 at 200 ​mA ​g−1, and its rate performance when used as a cathode in DIBs is comparable to that of commercial graphite. This simple recycling idea turns spent anode graphite into a cathode material with attractive potential and superior electrochemical performance, genuinely achieving sustainable energy use. It also provides a new method for recovering exhausted batteries.

Technocratic attitudes in COVID-19 times: Change and preference over types of experts.

Western publics show a sizable support for experts’ involvement in political decision making, that is, technocratic attitudes. This article analyzes two key aspects of these attitudes: technocratic attitudes’ stability and the heterogeneity in the demand for experts depending on the context. We first analyze how technocratic attitudes have been affected by an external event, the COVID‐19 pandemic, that has placed experts’ role at the forefront of the public debate; this allows us to analyze the stability or change in these attitudes. Second, given that the pandemic quickly evolved from being a public health issue to becoming a political issue combining economic and public health dimensions, we examine whether framing the COVID‐19 pandemic exclusively as a public health problem or as including a prominent economic dimension as well affects the type of public officials who are preferred to lead the political management of the crisis (independent experts with diverse professional skills or party politicians belonging to different parties and with a specialization in different policy fields). We pursue these two research goals through a panel survey conducted in Spain at two different time points, one before and another during the pandemic, in which we measure technocratic attitudes using an exhaustive battery; and through a survey experiment combining a conjoint design and a framing experiment. Results show that, first, technocratic attitudes have significantly increased as a consequence of the coronavirus outbreak; second, people's preference for experts prevails against any other experimental treatment such as party affiliation; and, finally, preferences for the type of experts vary depending on the problem to be solved. In this way, this paper significantly increases our knowledge of the factors that affect variation in public attitudes towards experts’ involvement in political decision‐making.

Treatment of Repeated Letdowns in Coordinated Consistent Recovery Line Compilation for Mobile Distributed Systems

We put forward a least_int_method (least interactive method) orchestrated CRL-compilation (consistent recovery line compilation) etiquette for non- deterministic Mob_DS (Mobile Distributed Systems); where no inoperable reinstatement-points are recorded. Recurrent terminations of CRL-compilation procedure may happen in Mobile_DS due to exhausted battery, non-voluntary disconnections of Mob_Nodes, or poor wireless connectivity. Therefore, we put forward that in the first stage, all pertinent Mob_Nodes will capture transient reinstatement-point only. Transient reinstatement-point is stored on the memory of Mob_Node only. In this case, if some method fails to capture its reinstatement-point in the first stage, then Mob_Nodes need to abandon their transient reinstatement-points only. In this way, we try to abate the loss of CRL-compilation effort when any method fails to capture its reinstatement-point in harmonization with others. We also try to reduce the CRL- compilation time and intrusion time of methods by limiting CRL-compilation tree which may be formed in other etiquettes [2, 9, 10]. We captured the transitive dependencies during the normal execution by piggybacking causal-dependency-vectors onto computation communications.

Manifestation of Flexible p–i–n Solar Cells Fabricated Using HWCVD in WSN Application

The wireless sensor network (WSN) consist of battery-powered sensor nodes which are self-configured and are deployed for monitoring several physical or environmental conditions such as temperature, pressure, humidity, vibration, pollutants etc. The major constraint in most of the WSN applications is the replacement/recharging of the battery contained by the node once it gets exhausted. This limitation reduces the lifetime of WSN. The placement of energy harvesting device within the sensor node may be the best probable solution to recharge the exhausted battery. In this paper, the integration of low cost, light weight and foldable flexible solar cells with WSN has been focused. The aim of this paper is to fabricate the flexible solar cells and showing the potential use of them in WSN. Moreover, the use of flexible solar cell is the better selection for emerging wearable WSN. This paper also describes the various issues in the already developed energy harvesting models and suggested a self-powered model for energy management based on finite state machine (FSM). The proposed models completely avoid the overcharging and the frequent charging of the batteries. This optimal utilization of the battery maximizes the lifetime of WSN network. In the proposed model, the flexible p–i–n solar cells are used to convert solar energy into electrical energy that can charge the battery of the WSN node. Finally, it can be concluded that the node will continue to function actively till the battery lifetime i.e. approximately 25–30 years.

Dehydration level detector through human urine with LED and LDR

Dehydration is a condition where the body are lack of fluids. It is because the amount of fluid that enter in the body is less of fluid than the discharge. Dehydration is something that cannot be ignored. The high incidence of dehydration is due to the difficulty of seeing the signs and symptoms of dehydration for ordinary people. This tool is designed to handle the level of human dehydration by seeing whether the urine is normal or abnormal, whether is it mild dehydration, or severe dehydration. It can handled based on the color of the urine using a tool named Light Emitting Diode Sensor (LED) and a light dependent resistor (LDR). Tool innovation is the use of rechargeable batteries and a charger module to make it easier for users to recharge exhausted batteries. On the LCD also displays the proportion of the battery to make it easier for users to see the remaining battery weaponry. This tool is expected to be able to check the dehydration among the public in order to achieve the public health status. After the process of designing, testing, collecting and analyzing data on 15 samples and reading 20 times for each sample, the result is that the tool can work well, can measure the level of dehydration according to the human urine with an average value of 62.10. The reading results that appear on the LCD are the same or according to the level of dehydration shown on the urine color chart.

Economic, Technical and Environmental Aspects of Recycling Lithium Batteries: A Literature Review

In the last few years, the automotive industry has been moving towards fuel-free and economically sustainable alternatives, motivated by the latest trends in the market and new regulations about CO2 emissions. Hybrid and electric vehicles feature a transmission drive with one or more electrical motors powered by Lithium batteries. Thus, Lithium batteries are increasingly used in onboard energy storage systems, leading new economical, technical and environmental challenges which are of fundamental importance in this early stage for the next automotive generation. Recycling materials from used Lithium batteries can also moderate the price of virgin materials, by reducing the price disposal as well as the dependence of manufacturers on exporting countries. Furthermore, recycling Lithium-ion batteries has significant environmental benefits, such as containing the risk of chemical pollution and improving safety in storage facilities for exhausted batteries worldwide. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive insight on Lithium-ion battery recycling for scientific research and industrial applications, examining the economic, technical and environmental aspects of this topic.

Reusing exhausted alkaline battery powder as reinforcement in AA6061 composites and mechanical characterization

ABSTRACT One of the practical difficulties in replacing the conventional alloys with composite material is the cost of the synthetic reinforcement used in all types of composite materials. In the last two decades, several agricultural and industrial wastes were tried as reinforcement in polymer and metal matrix to enhance the mechanical and tribological properties of the composites. It is the need of the hour to develop the low-cost composites which can be achieved by reusing the commercial wastes as reinforcement in metal matrix materials. In this study, Aluminum alloy (AA6061) was used as matrix material. Alkaline battery powder after usage was reinforced in AA6061 matrix in different volume percentages (2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 vol %). The tensile properties of composite materials were evaluated using ASTM standards. The 6 vol % of used up alkaline battery powder in AA6061 improved the tensile properties after which a decrement in properties was observed. The porosity and agglomeration of reinforcement were noted as the prime reason for the decrement in properties. The ductile fracture was noticed in composites that possessed reinforcement volume of up to 6%. The combination of ductile and brittle was found in the composites with 8 and 12 vol % of reinforcement.

Leaching of exhausted LNCM cathode batteries in ascorbic acid lixiviant: a green recycling approach, reaction kinetics and process mechanism

AbstractBACKGROUNDCritical metals (lithium, cobalt and nickel) used in Li‐ion batteries have been estimated to face a supply crunch by the end of 2020 due to their limited natural reserves and complex metallurgy. A green recycling approach to treat the exhausted batteries may potentially mitigate supply risks of metals and environmental burden of metal toxicity.RESULTSThe maiden application of bio‐producible/degradable ascorbic acid for the leaching of LiNi xCo yMn zO2 (LNCM) cathode batteries was investigated while performing parametric variations. Inhibited leaching at high temperature and long contact time showed the adversity caused by the possible decomposition of ascorbic acid. The low leaching of cobalt as a function of acid concentration indicated the hindrance in dissolution of Co(III) compound. A quantitative leaching of metals (≥96%) could be achieved under the following optimal conditions: agitation speed, 500 rpm; acid concentration, 2.0 mol L−1; temperature, 75 °C; time, 90 min; and pulp density, 6%. The apparent activation energy of metals was calculated to be more than 40 kJ mol−1.CONCLUSIONAscorbic acid could potentially dissolve the cathode material without introducing any additional reducing agent into the system. The leaching kinetics fitted with an empirical model {−ln(1 − x)}2 versus t could reveal that the overall dissolution process follows a chemically controlled mechanism. The present study leads towards sustainable metallurgy using a biodegradable reagent instead of applying harsh and hazardous mineral acids. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

A machine learning-based linguistic battery for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease.

There is a limited evaluation of an independent linguistic battery for early diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease (MCI-AD). We hypothesized that an independent linguistic battery comprising of only the language components or subtests of popular test batteries could give a better clinical diagnosis for MCI-AD compared to using an exhaustive battery of tests. As such, we combined multiple clinical datasets and performed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to extract the underlying linguistic constructs from a combination of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s disease (CERAD), Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) Logical Memory (LM) I and II, and the Boston Naming Test. Furthermore, we trained a machine-learning algorithm that validates the clinical relevance of the independent linguistic battery for differentiating between patients with MCI-AD and cognitive healthy control individuals. Our EFA identified ten linguistic variables with distinct underlying linguistic constructs that show Cronbach’s alpha of 0.74 on the MCI-AD group and 0.87 on the healthy control group. Our machine learning evaluation showed a robust AUC of 0.97 when controlled for age, sex, race, and education, and a clinically reliable AUC of 0.88 without controlling for age, sex, race, and education. Overall, the linguistic battery showed a better diagnostic result compared to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR), and a combination of MMSE and CDR.

The capitalization of energy efficiency: Evidence from the housing market

This paper investigates how private consumers capitalize energy efficiency in the housing market, and the extent to which the provision of an energy performance certificate (EPC) affects such capitalization. We explicitly address methodological lacunae in the literature, using an exhaustive battery of identification strategies. The results indicate that energy efficiency is indeed capitalized into home prices, with OLS estimates biased downwards. Using an IV approach, we find that as the level of energy efficiency increases by ten percent, the market value of the dwelling increases by around 2.2 percent – quite a precise reflection of both the required capital outlay and future energy savings. These results are confirmed in a repeat-sales analysis. Importantly, examining the role of energy performance certificates (EPCs), we document that the extent of capitalization of energy efficiency is not affected by information provision, questioning the continued need for government-imposed certification programs.

Some considerations on circular economy, municipal solid waste and occupational risk

The aim of the present article is to preliminarily analyse the effects that the introduction of the principles of circular economy can have on the occupational risk in the sector of MSW management. The chosen reference scenario concerns an Italian town that reached a very high efficiency of selective collection and where a lot of data have been generated in the last years to characterize the content of MSW. Since 2015, the town has to modify a few criteria of MSW management in order to fully comply with the vision of EU. The methodology adopted in the present article is based on the following steps. Details on the destination and material recovery were collected for each stream of MSW presently source separated: specifically, food waste and green waste, paper and cardboard, plastics, metals, glass, composite materials, textiles, expired medicaments, exhausted batteries and other. This scenario was analysed concerning new possible initiatives on source separated streams and their treatment (e.g. diapers). Moreover, additional modifications to the present approach were analysed in order to maximize material recovery, optimize energy recovery and minimize landfilling. Consequences of this re-organization of the sector have to be discussed in terms of occupational risk and economic impact.

Distributed clustering and operational state scheduling in wireless rechargeable sensor networks

Replacement of exhausted batteries in wireless sensor networks might lead to temporal disruption of network operations. Wireless rechargeable sensor networks (WRSNs) can mitigate this problem by recharging nodes before they run out of batteries. However, because WSRN nodes cannot perform recharging and task monitoring simultaneously, it is challenging to ensure continuous network operations while maintaining low-cost and low processing-power requirements of nodes. It is necessary to design an effective and energy-efficient node scheduling scheme to schedule nodes to either monitoring or recharging state without adversely reducing the network lifetime and throughput. In this paper, we propose a distributed clustering and operational state scheduling algorithm (DCOS) to maximise the overall network lifetime. Nodes needing energy can be replenished within time intervals when they are not in the state of sensing and transmitting. We conducted extensive simulations to evaluate the performance of DCOS. The results show that DCOS outperforms most of the state-of-the-art methods.