Microorganisms Found to Extract Minerals from Waste Batteries in Electric Vehicles

[Anchor]
Recycling waste batteries used in electric vehicles can extract expensive metal minerals such as lithium and nickel, but environmental pollution problems have always followed.

Domestic researchers have discovered microorganisms that separate metal minerals from waste mines, opening up the possibility of eco-friendly recycling of waste batteries.

This is reporter Lee Moon-seok.

[Reporter]
Some countries monopolize the supply of lithium and nickel, which are key minerals such as secondary batteries.

Therefore, a technology that recovers core minerals by recycling waste batteries is attracting attention recently.

Recycling waste batteries goes through a two-step process.

It is a pre-processing process in which the battery is made into a powder called 'black mass' and a post-processing process in which the powder is made into a solution to extract metal resources.

In particular, toxic chemicals such as sulfuric acid are used when powder is made into a solution, which has led to environmental pollution problems.

Is there any way to replace toxic chemicals?

Researchers from the National Institute of Biological Resources and Chonbuk National University and Gunsan National University have found three microorganisms with core mineral separation ability in an abandoned mine in Gyeongsang-do.

It's ASID.It is two species belonging to the genus Acidithiobacillus and one microorganism in the genus Perroacidibacillus.

The researchers said they found that more than 95% of lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt were separated by putting standard cathode active materials, an experimental "black mass," in the solution containing these microorganisms, for a day.

We have confirmed the possibility of recycling waste batteries by using microorganisms native to Korea.

It is explained that the risk of work can be reduced and environmental pollution can be minimized by not using toxic substances.

[Lee Jong-seok / Biomaterial Analysis Researcher of the National Institute of Biological Resources: We expect that the amount of waste and toxic substances generated by high concentrations of sulfuric acid used in the existing leaching process will be reduced]

Black Mass, which has actually pretreated waste batteries, contains more impurities than experimental ones.

The National Institute of Biological Resources has applied for a patent for the results of a "bioleaching" study using three types of microorganisms and launched a follow-up study for commercialization.

I'm YTN's Lee Munseok.