As the market for recycling waste batteries rapidly expands due to the rise of electric vehicles, a domestic research team has developed a technology that recovers over 90% of lithium, a key mineral, from waste batteries using freshwater microorganisms. This method reduces the use of chemical agents while achieving higher recovery rates than existing processes, demonstrating its potential as an eco-friendly recycling technology.
The National Nakdonggang Biological Resources Institute, under the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, announced on July 13 that it has developed a technology that can recover up to 90.3% of lithium from the black powder of waste secondary batteries using freshwater microorganisms.
Lithium is a crucial raw material for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems (ESS). While global demand is surging, South Korea relies heavily on imports, making the development of technology to recover valuable metals from used batteries a critical task.
The research team identified a strain of Aspergillus luchuensis among the freshwater microorganisms at the National Nakdonggang Biological Resources Institute that effectively extracts lithium from the black powder of waste batteries, outperforming traditional sulfuric acid treatment methods.
In experiments using the culture solution of this strain, lithium was recovered from the black powder at a rate of up to 90.3%. This represents an increase of approximately 9% to 23% compared to existing sulfuric acid treatment methods. The experiments were conducted at 80°C for 24 hours.
In the waste battery recycling market, the ability to recover key minerals like lithium in an eco-friendly manner determines technological competitiveness. Previously, wet smelting processes using sulfuric acid were primarily employed, but there has been a consistent need for technology that reduces the use of chemical agents and the burden of wastewater treatment. This research is significant as it presents the possibility of an eco-friendly process.
Based on the results of this research, the National Nakdonggang Biological Resources Institute plans to register related patents this month and develop metal recovery technology utilizing organic acids produced by microorganisms to expand its application in industrial settings.
Jung Yu-jin, head of the Utilization Technology Development Division at the National Nakdonggang Biological Resources Institute, stated, "This technology not only enhances the recycling value of lithium resources but can also contribute to the stabilization of the waste battery recycling industry and the supply chain of key minerals. We will continue to establish a foundation for commercialization through follow-up research."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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