Bioacid-powered process pulls cobalt, nickel from old batteries

Scientists have developed a cleaner, more sustainable method to separate cobalt and nickel from lithium-ion battery materials using an electrochemical technique enhanced by bioacids, specifically tartaric acid, a naturally occurring acid found in grapes and used in winemaking. This approach addresses the growing demand for cobalt and nickel driven by the expansion of electric vehicles, smartphones, and grid storage systems. Traditional solvent extraction methods for metal recovery are costly, environmentally harmful, and less effective for battery recycling due to low metal concentrations and mixed ions. The new method leverages electrowinning, a process that deposits metals as solids on electrodes, combined with bioacids that chemically interact with metal ions to improve separation efficiency. Led by Assistant Professor Yayuan Liu, the research highlights the potential of this technique for "urban mining," which recovers valuable metals from discarded electronics and spent batteries, offering a practical pathway to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. The team found that tartaric acid forms a unique di-nuclear complex with cobalt and