Argonne Principal Materials Scientist Albert Lipson recently patented a new method for recovering and purifying lithium electrolyte salts from battery waste, which would otherwise end up being toxic waste from the recycling process.

This method involves extracting the electrolyte from shredded batteries using an organic carbonate solvent, concentrating the extracted electrolyte to form a solid lithium electrolyte salt solvated with the organic carbonate, and then purifying the solvated salt by extracting the solvent with supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂).

This approach comes at a critical time for industry, as the need for efficient lithium battery recycling grows, due to the increased production of electric vehicles and stationary energy storage capabilities.