Scientists at the University of Leicester have developed a new, eco-friendly way to recycle lithium-ion batteries using a simple mix of water and cooking oil.
This breakthrough could make battery recycling cheaper, faster, and more sustainable, helping to reduce waste and support green technology.
Lithium-ion batteries power millions of devices, from mobile phones and laptops to electric vehicles (EVs).
However, recycling them is currently expensive and harmful to the environment. Traditional methods use intense heat or strong acids, both of which generate pollution and waste valuable materials.
Now, researchers led by Professor Andy Abbott and Dr. Jake Yang have discovered a way to recover valuable metals from old batteries in just minutes, at room temperature.
Their new method, developed as part of the Faraday Institution’s ReLiB project, uses nanoemulsions—tiny droplets of oil in water—to extract useful materials from used batteries.
Their study was published in RSC Sustainability.
Normally, oil and water don’t mix unless soap is added. However, scientists found that by using ultrasound, they could create tiny, stable droplets of oil in water. These oil droplets stick to carbon (graphite) found in old batteries, forming oil-graphite clumps that float on water.
Meanwhile, the valuable metals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt stay in the water, allowing them to be easily separated and reused. This process, known as short-loop recycling, keeps the metals in their original form, so they can be quickly turned into new batteries—unlike older methods that degrade them.
The world is rapidly moving towards electric vehicles and renewable energy, but the lack of sustainable battery recycling is a big challenge. There are currently 40 million electric cars and about 10 billion electronic devices using lithium-ion batteries worldwide. Without efficient recycling, millions of old batteries could go to waste.
Dr. Jake Yang believes this new method could revolutionize battery recycling because it is quick, simple, and inexpensive. The University of Leicester and the University of Birmingham are now working together on a project called ReBlend, which aims to scale up the process and prove it can work on a larger scale.
Professor Martin Freer, CEO of the Faraday Institution, calls this technology a “promising step toward a sustainable battery recycling system.” By making battery recycling easier and cleaner, this innovation could help reduce waste, lower costs, and make electric vehicles truly eco-friendly.
With this exciting discovery, the future of battery recycling looks much greener—thanks to a little cooking oil!
Source: University of Leicester.
