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The best part is that OP edited his comment to make it seem like he didn't argue that an exhausted battery consumed lithium Fun!
by xorbax 3y ago
The best part is that OP edited his comment to make it seem like he didn't argue that an exhausted battery consumed lithium
Fun!
- jaggederest 3y agoEditing for clarity is encouraged here, generally. That was not what I was trying to say. The math is something like: MTBF cycles * capacity of battery = usable "life" of the battery usage of lithium by mass in the battery * best recycling technology recovery rate = recoverable lithium per battery ((mass of lithium in battery - recoverable lithium per battery) / usable "life" of the battery) = lithium effectively used up per joule of energy used from that battery It may be that that number is zero grams, or a few picograms, so it doesn't matter. But I don't think with current recovery rates on battery recycling that's true. So, while a failed battery has the same mass of lithium as a new battery, effectively every charge-discharge cycle "uses up" some lithium, which ultimately ends up wasted as recycling byproducts or unusable salts.