Patent ID: 7964299
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: C22B,H01M,Y02E,Y02P,Y02W,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of recycling a battery usable in an automotive application and having a plurality of lithium cells removable from one another with each lithium cell having a first electrode formed from a first metal having a positive material and a second electrode formed from a second metal having a negative material with the second electrode having a charge opposite from the first electrode, said method comprising the steps of: disassembling the battery to remove the lithium cells; measuring an internal resistance of each of the removed lithium cells in view of a predetermined level of operational capability, whereby the internal resistance is indicative of at least one of a charge capacity and a discharge capacity, so that each of the removed lithium cells is either below the predetermined level or meets the predetermined level; separating the removed lithium cells into at least two recycling categories, wherein at least one recycling category includes the removed lithium cells below the predetermined level and wherein at least another recycling category includes the removed lithium cells that meet the predetermined level; replacing the lithium cells being removed from the battery with new lithium cells comprising materials from the removed lithium cells below the predetermined level and re-assembling the battery; recycling the lithium cells of one of the recycling categories removed from the battery by separating at least one of the first metal from the positive material and the second metal from the negative material by grinding the same with a fluid in a mixer as at least one of the first metal and the second metal is regenerated and forming a new cell by mixing the recycled positive material with new positive material and the recycled negative material with new negative material in predetermined ratios; and re-using the lithium cells of another of the recycling categories in an application differing from their original application, wherein the lithium cells of another of the recycling categories are unusable in their original application.