You would usually want a battery to be tough and long-lasting, right? That's what just about every battery commercial suggests? But what if the secret to a more sustainable future involves a battery that breaks down…
As MIT News reported in late August, the institute's researchers have developed a new self-assembling material for electric vehicle batteries that performs a seemingly magical feat. It can dissolve and break down on command, potentially changing the recycling landscape.
It's a huge deal, and here's why.
EVs have a major part to play in a cleaner, more resilient future, but they come with a big question: What are we supposed to do with millions of massive dead batteries?
The problem is they aren't exactly designed to be taken apart. Current recycling methods often involve shredding the entire item and using harsh chemicals and high heat to extract the valuable materials, a process detailed by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
The MIT team flipped the script with a "recycle-first" design. They created a new type of solid-state battery using a class of molecules called aramid amphiphiles that self-assemble in water to form a strong, stable structure that can conduct electricity.
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Here's the extra magical part. At the end of the battery's life, you can dip it into an organic solvent. The material dissolves, and the whole thing neatly falls apart into its core components, ready to be reused.
No shredding, no mess.
This should make recycling more affordable and effective. It should also help prevent toxic battery materials from contaminating soil and groundwater. It could even reduce the need for unsafe mining operations to source new battery components.
The innovation joins a wave of other exciting battery innovations, like a new manufacturing process for safer, more powerful lithium-sulfur batteries.
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They're not efficient enough ⚡ While some researchers focus on improving EV batteries through recycling and reusing parts, others are working on enhancing the efficiency and battery life of cheaper battery alternatives. It's all part of a larger plan to advance the sustainability of EVs.
Although this new MIT technology is still in its early stages, it could represent a major step forward. The more people who make their next car an EV, the less heat-trapping pollution enters our atmosphere, making smart recycling solutions like this more important than ever.
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