New tech pulls lithium from dead batteries cheaper than you can buy it
While lithium extraction technologies generally focus on ways to get the essential metal out of the ground, there's another source to mine: existing batteries that no longer work. A new technique could now make that process economically viable.
Marginally lower cost over 500 possible cycles under ideal conditions… this does not take into account other pollutants it may cause or the human element. Still, very positive as a total, as this is a resource a way hitherto untapped (unless you count risky social media innovatives who almost burn up their homes making lithium batteries from vapes and whatnot).
Mining costs are probably subject to more increases, as things get harder to access and environmental laws tighten.
Without this kind of progress described (meaning reutilising, refining or reprocessing lithium), mining might become even more brutal to keep costs down for investors and corporate buyers, but remain ever more expensive for consumers.
The cost will come down further with scale. The great thing about that is that dead lithium batteries will have value, so people will be much less inclined to throw them in the trash or dump them elsewhere
The great thing about that is that dead lithium batteries will have value
One day with my mountain of disused electronics, I will strike it rich.
What's more, the researchers say the method is much more affordable than other battery-based lithium-harvesting techniques, costing about US$12.70 per kilogram of lithium recovered.
Indeed, according to Daily Metal Prices, lithium costs $13.17 per kilo on the open market as of the time of writing. So this method actually comes out cheaper than just buying the stuff.
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