The harm of Lithium-Ion batteries

Lithium-Ion batteries are the most in-demand autonomous power source at the moment. While lead-acid batteries are mainly used as automotive batteries, lithium batteries have taken over every other niche. Flashlights, smartphones, laptops, modern backup power systems, and even electric cars almost all use lithium batteries as a power source.

When it comes to electric cars, they are called eco-friendly because they don’t emit harmful gases in the process. In reality, things are not as ideal as we would like them to be. The harm from the production of lithium batteries for a single electric car, according to some studies, is comparable to what a conventional car with an internal combustion engine emits into the atmosphere for several years. This is not least due to how many batteries are used in the car.

Are lithium batteries so bad for the environment and should humans do something about it? Let’s try to take a brief look at this question.

What are lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries can be rightly called the most common batteries in human life in the 21st century. They are most often found in portable electronic devices such as phones, laptops, cameras, etc. Also, they are found in industrial fields – for example, uninterruptible power supplies, security systems, power units, street lighting, medical equipment. It is safe to say that such batteries are used in every modern home.

History of creation

It is believed that the first experimenter to create a lithium-based battery was Gilbert Newton Lewisis, who began research in 1912. But the technology proved to be very fanciful and dangerous. The first working samples appeared in the 1970s, but they could not be made rechargeable.

In the 1980s mass production of these batteries was launched but their use was limited due to their high explosive potential. This was caused by dendrites growing on the lithium surface as the electrode interacted with the current. This phenomenon led to short circuits and extremely high temperature rise of chemical elements.

In 1991 there was a technological breakthrough that was pivotal in the history of lithium batteries. The Japanese company Sony produced the world’s first rechargeable power sources. The development consisted in creating a matrix for lithium intercalation, which was lined with negative electrodes of carbon materials. The charge and discharge process consisted of the transfer of lithium ions from the positively charged electrode to the negative electrode and vice versa.

How batteries affect the environment

The environmental harm of batteries is convenient to consider with the example of an electric car for several reasons. Firstly, a huge number of batteries are used in an electric car. The impact of thousands of batteries installed in one car is much more indicative than a single battery in a smartphone. Secondly, it is convenient to consider the benefits or harms of “green” technologies against the background of traditional cars. Thirdly, electric cars most often use the most common models of lithium batteries. For example, the Tesla model S power pack consists of more than 7,000 conventional 18650 batteries, namely the Panasonic Li-ion NCR18650B.

Let’s try to consider the direct and indirect impact of lithium batteries on the environment and humans on the example of the automotive industry and prove that everything is not so unambiguous. At least at the current level of technology.

The first thing to consider is the harm caused by the production of batteries. First of all, the production is harmful to the workers of the plant where the battery is made. More than one toxic material is used in the composition of lithium batteries. These include, for example, cobalt, nickel, and lithium boride. Production of lithium-ion batteries is the most hazardous than production of other types of batteries.

Then the process of battery operation begins. While driving an electric car does not emit harmful gases, unlike an internal combustion engine, these gases are emitted by the power plant to produce electricity. Since the largest share of the generated energy comes from power plants that burn fuel (coal, gas), the harm to the environment can be called tangible. Nevertheless, even with this, an electric car will be at least twice as environmentally friendly. This is not least due to the low efficiency of internal combustion engines, which does not even reach 50%. Although, the efficiency of electric cars is not ideal either, plus the battery is subject to self-discharge even when not under load. It’s like a gas tank that leaks a little bit. The energy industry is undergoing serious development and an increasing percentage of energy is being generated from renewable sources (solar, wind and water). Along with this, the indirect harm from battery operation is correspondingly decreasing.

Probably the biggest problem is the end of the battery life cycle. As mentioned earlier, lithium batteries are manufactured using toxic substances that cannot be buried in the ground. Toxic elements negatively affect the soil and its renewal, and they also get into the groundwater.

It is also worth noting that batteries are not only dangerous to the environment, but also to humans. There are many cases of batteries spontaneously combusting, which can lead to a fire. Most often the ignition is due to a sudden increase in temperature due to a short circuit of the electrodes. Unfortunately, the short circuit is not always caused by physical action on the battery. This can be caused by a technical defect (many are aware of the case of mass ignition of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones) or complex internal processes during aging.

What we can do

Because of electric cars alone, the production of lithium batteries is growing at an enormous rate. Is this a problem and can humans do something about it? Everyone can make a small contribution by donating batteries for recycling. Even if we are talking about conventional batteries. This will help reduce the percentage of harmful substances going into the soil.

If you think more globally, you need to move in two directions: the development of recycling technology, as well as production technology. By improving recycling technology, it may be possible to achieve almost zero emissions of harmful substances into the soil.

The most global way to reduce environmental damage is to invent new energy conservation technologies that are both more efficient and less toxic. There is a lot of work being done in this area. The invention of a new kind of battery could revolutionize not only the automotive industry, but also the field of mobile electronics.

What can be summed up? Lithium batteries are certainly indispensable in some areas of activity, and in others they are a good and relatively environmentally friendly counterpart to traditional technologies. Unfortunately, the development of the battery industry is much slower than other areas of activity. We can only hope that the electric car boom will be a reason to discover new, more environmentally friendly and efficient ways of storing energy.

10 Unusual Things Made Out of Metal and the Process of Making Them

Metal is used in a variety of objects that we use every day. It is strong and durable, which makes it perfect for many different applications. In this blog post, we will discuss 10 unusual things that are made out of metal. We will also describe the process of making these objects, and what metal is used in each one. Let’s get started!

Cutlery is one of the most common things that is made out of metal. It is strong and can withstand a lot of wear and tear. The process of making cutlery involves taking a sheet of metal and cutting it into the desired shape. Once the shape is cut out, the metal is then polished and finished to create a beautiful shine.

Slinkys are another unusual thing that are made out of metal. They are made by taking a long strip of metal and coiling it into a spiral. The coil is then compressed so that it can spring back into its original shape. Metal slinkys are fun to play with and can provide hours of entertainment!

Kitchen appliances such as blenders, mixers, and toasters are also made out of metal. The metal is used because it is durable and can withstand high temperatures. The process of making these appliances involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the appliance is shaped, it is then painted and finished so that it looks nice in your kitchen.

Microphones are another common object that is made out of metal. The metal helps to amplify the sound that is being spoken into the microphone. The process of making a microphone involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into a cone shape. Once the cone is shaped, the metal is then covered with a thin layer of cloth so that the sound can be amplified.

Boats are also made out of metal. The metal is used because it is durable and can withstand the elements. The process of making a boat involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the boat is shaped, it is then painted and finished so that it looks nice on the water.

Fake teeth are another unusual thing that are made out of metal. The metal helps to give the teeth a realistic look. The process of making fake teeth involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the teeth are shaped, they are then painted and finished so that they look like real teeth.

Sunglasses are also made out of metal. The metal helps to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. The process of making sunglasses involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the sunglasses are shaped, they are then painted and finished so that they look like real sunglasses.

Staplers are another common object that is made out of metal. The metal helps to keep the staples in place. The process of making a stapler involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the stapler is shaped, it is then painted and finished so that it looks nice on your desk.

The space station is also made out of metal. The metal helps to protect the astronauts from the harsh conditions in space. The process of making the space station involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the space station is shaped, it is then painted and finished so that it looks nice in space. Some of them use lithium.

Wedding rings are also made out of metal. The metal helps to symbolize the love between two people. The process of making a wedding ring involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the wedding ring is shaped, it is then polished and finished so that it looks beautiful on your finger.

Keys are another common object that is made out of metal. The metal helps to keep the key safe from being lost or stolen. The process of making a key involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the key is shaped, it is then painted and finished so that it looks nice on your keychain.

Elvis Presley’s belt buckle is also made out of metal. The metal helps to keep the buckle in place. The process of making the belt buckle involves taking a piece of metal and shaping it into the desired shape. Once the belt buckle is shaped, it is then polished and finished so that it looks beautiful on your waist. Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed learning about all of these unusual things that are made out of metal!

Warren Buffett bet on lithium-ion batteries. How can you make money?

Lithium-ion battery prices are dropping, and electric car makers are growing in appeal to investors. Automakers have big plans for the future, and Omaha-based Oracle is among the investors in the sector

The electric car market has seen a marked recovery over the past decade. At the end of 2018, there were already 5.1 million electric cars worldwide. And that’s 60% more than at the end of 2017.

Many motorists switched to electric cars after regulators tightened their requirements for the amount of harmful exhaust emissions. This is due to the fact that electric cars are considered a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

Over the decade, the prices of electric cars have fallen dramatically. The fact is that along with the growth in sales of electric cars, the production of rechargeable (lithium-ion) batteries has increased, the cost of which has also decreased by 85%. Batteries are one of the most important, but until recently extremely expensive, parts of an electric car. Just a few years ago, they cost up to half the price of a car.

In addition to cars, lithium-ion batteries are used as energy storage in many areas of the economy. So there are many ways to make money from batteries, according to CNBC. The most obvious investment might be the securities of car companies – such as Tesla or Ford.

Lithium-ion batteries were developed back in the 1970s. But it wasn’t until 1991 that Sony found its first commercial application. It built them into a portable video recorder.

Now you can find them in almost anything, from iPhones to medical devices, airplanes and the international space station. Last year, the three scientists who developed the lithium-ion battery were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Lithium-ion batteries are the key to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, CNBC writes. Swiss bank UBS estimates the energy storage market could grow to $426 billion over the next decade.

Tesla was the first car company to put on the market an electric car powered by a lithium-ion battery: the all-electric Tesla Roadster sports car was introduced in 2008.

At the time, automakers were developing hybrid models that combined gasoline and electric engines. There was no talk of all-electric propulsion, as such cars were not cheap. For example, Tesla was selling the Roadster for $110,000.

Now it is more profitable and less labor-intensive than producing cars with gasoline engines. Virtually all automakers either already sell or plan to produce all-electric or at least hybrid cars.

In November, Ford said it was starting to take orders for the Mustang Mach-E. This is an all-electric car of the legendary model. Ford designed the Mustang Mach-E as one of the first in a line of 40 electric cars Ford plans to make by 2022.

Volkswagen revised its plans for electric cars in March. The company intends to produce 70 new electric car models by 2028. The previous benchmark was 50 cars.

Last year, GM CEO Mary Barra told investors that the company plans to reach break-even production of electric cars in 2021. And Britain’s Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Motors, intends to turn the company into a pure electric-car manufacturer within the next decade.

According to the International Energy Agency, 1.98 million externally-powered electric cars were sold worldwide in 2018 alone. As we wrote above, the total number of electrically-powered cars was 5.1 million. This is still relatively small, since there are now more than 1 billion cars on the road in aggregate. However, experts expect the share of electric cars to grow.

Bloomberg NEF predicts that by 2040, electric cars will account for 57% of total sales.

Battery manufacturers prepare for explosive growth

There’s money to be made on the mass shift to electric cars, but there are risks, too

The most striking and well-known example of explosive growth in the lithium-ion battery sector is Tesla’s $5 billion “gigafactory” in Nevada. Investment bank Berenberg estimates that the sector would need to increase battery production by an order of magnitude for its capacity to grow from 68 GWh in 2016 to 1,165 GWh 10 years later.

It is primarily Asian companies that are seeking to make up for the shortfall in supply. Despite all the hype around the Tesla plant, the U.S. company does not produce batteries – its partner Panasonic is responsible for this – the Japanese company has independent projects in this area. Other industry leaders are LG Chem and Samsung SDI, public divisions of South Korean conglomerates. They supply batteries to Nissan, GM, BMW and other electric car manufacturers. Coming on the heels of the Koreans are two Chinese companies intent on supplying the fast-growing Chinese electric car market. They are BYD, which itself makes electric cars (Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway owns an 8.25 percent stake in the company), and Contemporary Amperex Technology, which plans to raise $2 billion during an IPO in Shenzhen in the coming months. Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) estimates that by getting the money to expand production, Contemporary Amperex will become the largest producer of lithium-ion batteries in the world.

These five Asian companies and a number of other manufacturers intend to build 24 plants by 2021 with a total battery production capacity of 332 GWh (see chart), points out Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Investors looking to capitalize on the new gold rush should take a long-term view, says The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Capital costs in the sector are high, while the contracts being negotiated imply very small margins.
Thomas Edison on batteries

“The battery, in my opinion, is a cheap scoop designed to attract buyers, a mechanism to deceive the public by stock companies.

Negotiating with automakers will also be difficult. Outside China, the auto industry is very consolidated, and regulators are putting a lot of pressure on auto companies to encourage sales of electric cars, even if it’s not profitable yet. France and the U.K. have banned sales of internal combustion engine cars since 2040. So the way out for automakers is to get battery prices down.

Large new factories should help battery makers. “Economies of scale are critical here,” Bloomberg quoted BNEF analyst Colin McKerracher as saying. Batteries have already tripled in price from $1,000 per kWh in 2010. BNEF estimates that electric cars will be able to compete with internal combustion engine cars when the cost of a battery drops to $100 per 1 kWh. This could happen by 2026, according to experts who spoke at the BNEF conference this week.

Lithium is not the most important element in lithium-ion batteries

Lithium has recently been called the “white oil,” and deservedly so. Lithium-ion batteries are becoming the backbone of the energy transition.

However, there is one mineral without which there will be no energy revolution. And the trillion-dollar electric car market will cease to exist. It is graphite, the key element that forms the anode of lithium-ion batteries. In 2019, the global market for graphite was valued at $14.9 billion. By 2027, it will reach $22 billion, and possibly much more.

Each battery for electric vehicles contains 20-30% graphite. This means that the demand for graphite will grow along with the demand for electric cars. And while electric car manufacturers have been busy sourcing lithium around the world, there have been concerns about graphite shortages.

About 90% of the graphite anodes used in batteries come from China. With demand for electric vehicles skyrocketing, it’s time to take a closer look at one of the key processors of this mineral, Graphex Group Ltd. The company has been in existence since 2008 and has been developing graphite processing methods since 2013. It is an experienced manufacturer with large long-term contracts in China.

Graphex is now looking to expand into the U.S. and European markets. Its president, John DeMaio, is working to make the company an integral part of the supply chain being created to support the western electric vehicle industrial complex being built. Graphex believes the graphene market will grow at an average annual rate of 29 percent over the next five years.

“The pace of electric vehicle sales will increase dramatically,” states IHS Markit. – The tipping point will be in 2027. That’s when electric cars will reach production cost parity with internal combustion engine vehicles in China. After that, production of electric cars will begin to increase like a snowball.

This means that the market for graphite for lithium-ion batteries will begin to expand rapidly. On average, each electric car requires up to 70 kg of graphite (the Tesla Model S requires even more). For every one million electric cars, about 75,000 tons of natural graphite will be needed.

In 2019, the demand for spherical graphite in China alone was 200 thousand tons. A year later, it will be 240,000 tons. And by 2028, graphite demand will increase to 1.9 million tons. In September 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted that the electric mobility and low-carbon energy sectors will require 25 times more graphite per year by 2040 than today.

The important point is that there are no graphite mines in the U.S.; all of the mineral is imported. In 2018, U.S. manufacturers purchased 40,000 metric tons of graphite. And now the Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada alone needs about 35,200 tons of spherical graphite a year. And that gives Graphex a huge opportunity.

Since most of the graphite is mined in China, battery manufacturers around the world use Chinese raw materials. Asian battery manufacturers are even more dependent on China: They use raw material from China as well as recycled mineral. However, neither in the U.S. nor in Europe is there any meaningful recycling of graphite.

Graphex produces 10 thousand metric tons of spherical graphite a year. Now, the company says it is getting ready to expand its production to 40,000 metric tons per year. Raw material costs $500-800 dollars per ton, with a selling price of about $2,700-2800 dollars. The company says gross margins are maintained at 27-28%. This is a prime example of how graphite production can be one of the best places to look for opportunities in the lithium-ion battery supply chain.

Lithium-ion batteries (global market)

The global market for lithium-ion batteries reached $31.36 billion in 2019, analyst firm ResearchAndMarkets estimated. Experts did not specify the dynamics and only reported that sales of such batteries are on the rise.

According to the researchers, the growth of the market for lithium-ion batteries is primarily due to the supply of high-density cells for them. Such components allow devices to work longer without recharging.
The size of the global lithium-ion battery market reached $31.36 billion in 2019

Most lithium-ion batteries used in portable electronics use cobalt at their core, which provides the highest energy density of any other commercial solution. The specific energy density of lithium-ion batteries is 100-265 W/kg or 250/670 W/L, which is one of the highest on the market.

Decreasing prices for lithium-ion batteries contribute to the growth of their sales. Analysts estimate that the cost of such batteries in 2013 was $650 per kWh, and in 2018 the figure dropped to $176.

The cheapening is due to the use of new materials, manufacturing processes and increased investment from manufacturers.

ResearchAndMarkets cites the following companies as leaders in the lithium-ion battery market:

• A123 Systems;
• Automotive Energy Supply Corp;
• LG Chem;
• Panasonic;
• Samsung SDI;
• Toshiba;
• BYD;
• Automotive Energy Supply Corp;
• Amperex Advanced Technology;
• Johnson Controls.

One of the main issues holding back the rapid growth of the lithium-ion battery market, the study says, is safety. Such devices store large amounts of energy, leading to the risk of explosion or fire. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported 206 incidents of lithium-ion batteries exploding at airports between March 1991 and January 2018. [1]

The battery is dead: What’s happening in the energy conservation market

Batteries are fundamentally important for the future of electric cars and energy in general. RBC Trends has looked into how the industry works and what its main problems are

In the traditional power industry (thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, hydroelectric power plants), the most important component of the systems was the turbine which converted the energy from the source into the mechanical energy for its further use. However, with the development of renewable wind and solar energy, energy storage systems, which will effectively store the generated energy, are at the forefront. The cars of the future will also not be able to do without efficient batteries.

Types of energy systems

A variety of technologies are available to capture energy, store it, and use it later. Electric and thermal energy storage systems are considered the most common. Such systems come in several types:

Electrical equipment

The greatest growth rate of energy storage over the past decade has come from electrical systems such as batteries and capacitors. Capacitors are devices that store electrical energy in the form of a charge stored on metal plates. When a capacitor is connected to a power source, it stores energy and releases it when disconnected from the source. A battery, on the other hand, uses electrochemical processes to store energy. Capacitors can release stored energy at a much faster rate than batteries because the chemical processes take longer.

Mechanical

Mechanical energy storage systems use basic physics ideas that convert electrical energy into kinetic energy for storage and then convert it back into electrical energy for consumption. Such systems are large hydro-storage dams, mechanical flywheels, and compressed air storage.

Thermal

Thermal energy storage allows thermal energy to be stored and used later to balance the need for energy between day and night or when the seasons change. The most common are hot or cold water tanks or molten salts, ice storage, and cryogenics.

Chemical

Typically used in hydrogen storage. They use electrical energy to separate hydrogen from water through electrolysis. The gas is then compressed and stored for future use in hydrogen-fueled generators or fuel cells. This method is rather energy-intensive. Only 25% of the energy is saved for the end use.

Different industries and technologies use different types of batteries with different chemical compositions. Lithium-cobalt batteries, which are lighter and have a high voltage for fast charging, are used in smartphones and other consumer electronics. More robust and larger lithium titanium batteries are installed in public transport, particularly in electric buses. Power plants use low-capacity but fire-safe lithium-phosphate cells.

Canada voiced the country’s prospects in the market of lithium-ion batteries

Canada’s prospects in the lithium-ion battery market were assessed by Simon Moores, director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Mining.com reported on Feb. 22.

Canada is well positioned to become one of the global leaders in the lithium-ion battery market, but regulators and miners need to recognize and support that potential, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence director told the House of Commons.

Canada is rich in lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, aluminum and manganese, key ingredients needed to make batteries for electric vehicles.

By organizing battery production, Canada could have more opportunities to assemble electric cars and rebuild its own automotive sector.

Canada’s auto industry has declined over the past two decades. The country has lost five assembly plants and about 30 percent of its car production to the United States and Mexico.