Tesla has filed a patent application to recover some of the nickel and cobalt from batteries that have completed their useful life . These are two critical elements for the manufacture of lithium ion cells, but due to various factors – in some controversial cases – they are becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain.
Tesla's patent, entitled “Electrochemical Dissolution Metal Sulfate Manufacturing System”, addresses the recycling of the aforementioned raw materials. If this solution can be applied, the aforementioned elements could be recovered from old batteries, according to the patent collected by Teslarati.
The recovered metals could be used to make new batteries. In this way, the pressure on the supply chain would be partially alleviated. Tesla, in addition, could reduce its expenses . Cobalt has risen 62.64% since September 2019 and nickel 9.25% in the same time period, according to Investing.com.
Tesla's patent
Credit: Teslarati “Nickel cobalt sulfates are used as raw materials for lithium-ion battery cathode materials, nickel-metal hydride battery cathodes and nickel-cadmium battery cathodes. It is sometimes difficult or expensive to buy metal sulfate products on the market due to their limited availability, “the document states.
Along these lines, Tesla wants to place the battery cells in an electrolytic bath container . In addition, “relatively dilute” sulfuric acid would be used in an electrochemical dissolution device with an anode and a cathode. This would allow a metal sulfate compound to be synthesized from the cathodes. Thus, during the electrolytic bath process, and applying low voltage current, it would be possible to extract nickel and cobalt from the cells, as long as said metals are in good condition.
Tesla recently closed a deal with BHP, one of the largest nickel producing companies. The automaker assures that the raw material will come from one of the “most sustainable and lowest carbon emission sources in the world”.
Panasonic, Tesla's main supplier of battery cells, said a year ago that they plan to make their batteries totally cobalt-free “in two to three years.” The electric carmaker, for its part, is making an effort so that the extraction of this raw material is carried out in accordance with responsible working conditions.
