Project 1-1

Project introduction:
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method can be used to support the design and improvement of products and processes. For a valid decision support specific data sets are needed, which are often not available or detailed enough. By combining LCA with different modeling approaches, these data gaps can be closed transparently and a better decision support can be provided. This dissertation project aims to integrate LCA and physical or surrogate models of the relevant recycling unit processes to support resource-minimal cycling of Li-ion batteries.

Specific objectives:

• Development of physical or surrogate process models, i.e. based on statistical entropy (material mixture complexity), for relevant recycling processes
• Combination of the developed process models with the method of LCA
• Derivation of minimum resource requirements and potential future developments using LCA of real processes on laboratory scale
• Derivation of recommendations for action for the process engineering

Expected outcome:

• Quantified theoretical minimum resource requirements for the recycling of Li-Ion batteries
• Estimation of the ecological potential in the further development and upscaling of recycling processes
• Enabling a goal-oriented life cycle engineering and future design of recycling process chains
• Development of tools to support Decision making processes in the design of future recycling process chains)