Hydrogen Production by Pyrolysis-Gasification of Spent Li-Ion Battery using Waste Sourced Metal-Containing Catalysts

Abstract

The Li-ion battery recycling has a great importance, because the global demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage or even portable electronics are increasing. There are different processes for recovery of valuable metals from spent Li-ion batteries, but the recycling of their organic constituents is an unsolved problem. This work focuses to the value added recycling of spent Li-ion batteries to produce hydrogen. Catalyst was obtained from the non-polymerous waste from spent Li-ion batteries and their catalytic role for hydrogen production was investigated using separator foils. Catalysts with transition metals were obtained by pyrometallurgy treatment of waste sourced electrodes and used in pyrolysis-gasification reactions. The yield of gases was 88.2-94.2%. The hydrogen and CO content in gases were significant. Catalysts obtained by pyrometallurgical method using non-oxidizing atmospheres resulted gases with higher hydrogen content. Transition metals in reduced form can catalyse the steam and dry reforming reaction. Higher hydrogen yield was found at 500°C pyrolysis temperature using non-oxidized catalysts, however, the hydrogen/CO ratio was higher at 600°C pyrolysis temperature. The cost-balance was also calculated to investigate the feasibility of the process.