重新配置固態鋰電池方便回收

可充電固態鋰電池一次充電即可為手機和筆記型電腦供電數天。然而，這些電池並不環保，因為在當前的回收過程中幾乎所有東西都被浪費了。現在，發表在 ACS Energy Letters 上的一項研究揭示了固態鋰電池的重新配置設計，使所有組件都可以輕鬆回收。

Solid-state lithium batteries have the potential to power cell phones and laptops for days on a single charge, but almost everything goes to waste during the current recycling process. Now, a study published in ACS Energy Letters reveals a reconfigured design of solid-state lithium batteries that allows all components to be easily recycled.

固態鋰電池一次充電即可為手機和筆記型電腦供電數天，但在目前的回收過程中幾乎所有東西都被浪費了。現在，《ACS Energy Letters》上發表的一項研究揭示了固態鋰電池的重新配置設計，使所有組件都可以輕鬆回收。

To separate the core battery components from other metal components in a coin cell battery, the researchers inserted two polymer layers at the interfaces between the electrode and the electrolyte prior to the start of the recycling process. After successful separation of the components, the team made a composite reconstructed battery with the recovered metals and electrode using cold sintering – the process of combining powder-based materials into dense forms at low temperatures through applied pressure using solvents. This process meant that they could not only recover and reuse the whole battery, but also recycle it again after its use – increasing the sustainability of rechargeable batteries.

為了將紐扣電池中的核心電池組件與其他金屬組件分開，研究人員在回收過程開始之前在電極和電解質之間的界面處插入了兩個聚合物層。在成功分離組件後，團隊利用冷燒結技術，用回收的金屬和電極製造了複合材料重構電池——冷燒結是透過使用溶劑施加壓力，在低溫下將粉末基材料結合成緻密形式的過程。這個過程意味著他們不僅可以回收和再利用整個電池，而且可以在使用後再次回收，從而提高可充電電池的可持續性。

Importantly, the researchers found that the reconstructed battery achieved between 92.5% and 93.8% of its original capacity. “While the commercialization of all-solid-state lithium batteries is still in its early stages, our work provides important insights and ideas for designing recyclable versions of these batteries,” explained first author Yi-Chen Lan of Penn State. “While we’re not quite there yet, the long-term goal is to apply this innovation to larger batteries that could be used in devices like cell phones and laptops, once all solid-state technology becomes more prevalent.”

重要的是，研究人員發現改造後的電池容量達到了原始容量的 92.5% 至 93.8%。 「雖然全固態鋰電池的商業化仍處於早期階段，但我們的工作為設計這些電池的可回收版本提供了重要的見解和想法，」賓州州立大學的第一作者 Yi-Chen Lan 解釋道。 “雖然我們還沒有完全做到這一點，但長期目標是一旦全固態技術變得更加普遍，將這項創新應用於可用於手機和筆記型電腦等設備的更大電池。”