Other exciting initiates include a potential “never-ending” battery, too. Made from recovered and reused nuclear fuel, these batteries could last for more than 28,000 years, or so the developers claim. Currently in development by a California-based startup, these nano-diamond batteries are nearly indestructible and will be cheaper than existing Li-ion battery packs if they can be fully developed. Other more esoteric examples include eco-friendly, liquid batteries that run on vanillin. Currently in development by researchers at the Graz University of Technology, this interesting line of research would be truly sustainable. Another option could be by using Zinc-air batteries. These have been shown to significantly out-perform Li-ion batteries on all levels, and are also a lot better for the environment. However, it should be noted that zinc, if leaked into the environment, can be devastating for local ecosystems. 2. Make Li-ion batteries longer-lasting Another potential solution is to make the batteries as long-lasting as possible if a viable replacement for Li-ion is not found. This would help alleviate the need to extract new raw materials to replace spent batteries, and would also help reduce the need to either dispose of or recycle them at the end of their lives. And, thankfully, some options
are currently being investigated to achieve just this. One example is to add molybdenum and sulfur to Liion batteries to produce cheap, very light batteries with almost twice the energy density of existing Li-ion batteries. Currently in development by the University of Texas, molybdenum and sulfur would be used to replace the lithium electrodes while still providing a viable battery unit. Other solutions include the use of sulfide electrodes to help extend the working life of Li-ion batteries too. Currently being investigated at the University of Florida, sulfide-Liion batteries should be able to extend the number of charge-discharge cycles with little to no degradation of the battery. 3. Try to find lithium sources in places that care about the environment Failing either to replace Li-ion batteries or finding ways to extend their functional lives, another alternative could be to find more sustainable sources of lithium. Whether this is opening up mining and refining operations in countries with strong environmental regulations, or searching for sources with a high bar to entry for extraction, this would go a long way to reducing the environmental impact of lithium battery production and, by extension, the EV industry in general. Seawater, for example, is a po-
FinishMaster, Inc., Reorganizes Sales Force FinishMaster, Inc., a leading provider of automotive and industrial paint, coatings and related products, announced a reorganization to its sales team, transitioning from regional-based to a customer-focused sales structure. The new structure features three teams to better align the company with the marketplace and improve overall efficiency. Traditional Accounts represents the company’s largest customer base in North America. Strategic and Industrial Accounts is a newly formed group dedicated to the growth of multishop operations and industrial businesses—including commercial vehicle, recreational vehicle,
fleet and metal fabrication—and will enable the company to provide new value-added solutions. National Accounts will focus on customers with a nationwide footprint. Source: FinishMaster
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26 OCTOBER 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
tential source of lithium, although it will require fairly sophisticated extraction methods. Refining the process to make it as cheap as evaporation pools is going to be a very real challenge. Other countries, like Portugal, are also pushing forward with finding ways to produce lithium domestically. But again, these all require the extraction and use of raw materials that have the potential to produce some form of pollution. This is where finding ways to use what we already have, with regards to lithium, might be the best option. After all, the damage to the environment from extraction has already been done. This would mean recycling old batteries. Many landfills around the world are literally packed with spent electronic devices from laptops to old smartphones. Could these be “mined” instead of removing fresh lithium from the environment? And that is exactly what researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK are proposing. They are hoping to use robotics technolo-
gy developed for the nuclear industry to safely dismantle potentially explosive Li-ion cells from EVs to extract the precious metals within. But that is really only half the story. Any battery that relies on electrochemistry, like Li-ion batteries, runs the risk of having its electrodes degrade and decay. You won’t necessarily know the condition of these materials without opening up the battery. This has led some other researchers to look into alternative ways to recycle batteries and recover materials like lithium in a more predictable manner. They propose a biological recycling process that would use bacteria to process the waste metals, coupled with hydrometallurgical techniques which use solutions of chemicals in a similar way to how lithium is extracted in the first place. If successful, this kind of initiative could be a very real gamechanger for lithium and EV industries. So, in conclusion, are EVs really that “green” and sustainable for the planet? We will let you make up your own mind.
