Recent graduate Rosie Madge has focused on recycling batteries into new materials for the promotion of recycling and commercial battery prospects.
My research focuses on developing methods to recycle materials from lithium-ion batteries, particularly from those that are end-of-life or that have failed quality checks. I’ve been working on recycling these materials into new, high-performance cathode materials, such as Ni-doped spinals and cation-disordered rock salts.
This is a new approach for LIB recycling as other research predominantly focuses on recycling of single-phase cathodes. This research is representative of end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap that is likely to be present in the commercial LIB recycling market. This demonstrates that there is a potential to upcycle lower value cathode materials, which contain Manganese, into current and next generation cathode materials, which are higher value. This is directly relevant to both the EU’s Critical Raw Minerals Act.
The highlight of my research has been demonstrating that Mn-based cathodes can be upcycled and showing that multiple routes can be taken to convert Mn-based cathodes into new cathode materials. The work therefore demonstrates pathways that could be used to recycle commercial Mn-based cathodes.
After completing my PhD with the ReLiB project, I joined the Energy Systems Catapult’s Networks and Energy Storage team. I now apply my expertise to explore how LIBS can be used in energy storage and I am eager to learn more about these technologies.