8. Lithium recycling

Aluminium-lithium scraps from offcuts are already being recycled. However, there is currently little recycling of lithium from batteries, as lithium accounts for only 3% by mass in components for portable equipment (cell phones, microcomputers, etc.) and its current price is not sufficiently attractive to offset the cost of recovery and recycling. Current technology is unable to create a closed cycle in which recovered lithium is pure enough to be used in the manufacture of new batteries.

However, recycling may become more important in the future, given the future growth in the use of lithium in electric vehicle batteries, as their uses are not dispersive. At present, there is no significant industrial activity likely to change the market. The Lithium Company (USA) predicts an approximate recycling rate of 50% and, based on a 10-15 year lifetime for an electric...