IYunivesithi yeTekhnoloji yaseChalmers eSweden ibika indlela entsha yokuphinda kusetyenziswe iibhetri zezithuthi zombane. Le nkqubo ayifuni iikhemikhali ezibizayo okanye eziyingozi kuba abaphandi basebenzise i-oxalic acid, i-organic acid efumaneka kubukumkani bezityalo.
Le nkqubo inokubuyisa i-100% ye-aluminiyam kunye ne-98% ye-lithium kwiibhetri zezithuthi zombane, ngokutsho kweyunivesithi. Oku kunciphisa nokulahleka kwezinto ezixabisekileyo ezifana ne-nickel, i-cobalt kunye ne-manganese.
KwiChalmers University's Battery Recycling Laboratory, iqela lizame ukucubungula izinto ezimnyama, umxube ofana nomgubo wezinto ezibalulekileyo ezisebenzayo kwiibhetri, kwi-oxalic acid. Ngokukodwa, besithetha ngebhetri yemoto yombane yeVolvo. Eli nqaku lichaza le nkqubo ngokuthi “ukwenza ikofu.” Enyanisweni, yonke into iyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu, kuba ukuze inkqubo ye-oxalic acid ivelise isiphumo esifunekayo, kuyimfuneko ukukhetha ngokuchanekileyo ubushushu, uxinaniso kunye nobude bexesha. Ngendlela, i-oxalic acid ifumaneka kwizityalo ezifana nerhubarb kunye nespinatshi.
“Kude kube ngoku, akukho mntu ukwazileyo ukufumana iimeko ezifanelekileyo zokwahlula inani elikhulu kangaka le-lithium usebenzisa i-oxalic acid kunye nokususa yonke i-aluminium. Ngenxa yokuba zonke iibhetri zine-aluminium, kufuneka sikwazi ukuyisusa ngaphandle kokulahlekelwa zezinye iintsimbi,” utsho uLeah Rouquette, umfundi ophumelele kwisebe.
Kwiinkqubo ze-hydrometallurgical ezisetyenziswayo ngoku, izinto ze-ferrous ziyanyibilika kwii-inorganic acids. Emva koko "izinto ezingcolileyo" ezifana ne-aluminium kunye ne-copper ziyasuswa kwaye izinto ezisebenzayo ezifana ne-cobalt, i-nickel, i-manganese kunye ne-lithium ziyafunyanwa, ngokwahlukeneyo.
Nangona kunjalo, abaphandi baseSweden baphawula ukuba nokuba zincinci i-aluminium kunye nobhedu oluseleyo lufuna amanyathelo amaninzi okucoca, kwaye inyathelo ngalinye kwinkqubo linokubangela ukulahleka kwe-lithium. Besebenzisa le ndlela intsha, abaphandi batshintshe indlela kwaye banciphisa i-lithium kunye ne-aluminium kuqala. Oku kubavumela ukuba banciphise inkcitho yeentsimbi ezixabisekileyo ezifunekayo ukwenza iibhetri ezintsha.
Inyathelo elilandelayo linokuthelekiswa nokupheka ikofu: ngelixa i-aluminium kunye ne-lithium zikwilwelo, iintsimbi eziseleyo zihlala "ziqinile". Inyathelo elilandelayo kule nkqubo kukwahlula i-aluminium kunye ne-lithium. "Ngenxa yokuba ezi zinyithi zineempawu ezahlukeneyo kakhulu, asicingi ukuba kuya kuba nzima ukuzihlula. Indlela yethu yindlela entsha ethembisayo yokuphinda usebenzise iibhetri ngokuqinisekileyo kufanelekile ukuyihlolisisa ngakumbi," utshilo uRouquette.
"Sifuna ezinye iindlela endaweni yeekhemikhali ezingaphiliyo. Enye yezona zinto zinzima kwiinkqubo zanamhlanje kukususa izinto eziseleyo ezifana ne-aluminium. Le yindlela entsha enokubonelela ngezinye iindlela ezintsha kwishishini lokulawula inkunkuma kwaye incede ekusombululeni iingxaki ezithintela ukukhula," utshilo uprofesa weli candelo. UMartina Petranikova Nangona kunjalo, wongeze ngelithi le ndlela ifuna uphando olongezelelekileyo: "Ekubeni le ndlela inokwandiswa, sinethemba lokuba ingasetyenziswa kushishino kwiminyaka ezayo."
Ukususela ngo-2011, besigubungela uphuhliso lwezithuthi zombane ngomdla wobuntatheli kunye nobuchule. Njengeendaba ezikhethekileyo eziphambili kushishino, sinikezela ngengxelo esemgangathweni ophezulu nepheleleyo yeziganeko, sisebenza njengeqonga eliphambili lophuhliso olukhawulezileyo lwale teknoloji. Ibandakanya iindaba, ulwazi oluvela kwimvelaphi, iingxelo zokuqhuba, udliwanondlebe, iividiyo kunye nolwazi lokukhuthaza.