Rechargeable batteries, commercially

Among rechargeable batteries commercially available today (Table 1), only the lead/acid (Pb-A) and Ni-Fe systems can be considered as potential EV power plants because of the cost and scarcity of materials used in other batteries. The performance of the Pb-A and Ni-Fe systems is, however, inherently limited by their low-energy... 

Recychng (or reuse) refers to the use (or reuse) of materials that would otherwise be disposed of or treated as a waste product. A good example is a rechargeable battery. Wastes that cannot be directly reused may often be recovered on-site through methods such as distillation. When on-site recoveiy or reuse is not feasible due to quality specifications or the inability to perform recoveiy on-site, off-site recoveiy at a permitted commerci recoveiy facihty is often a possibility. Such management techniqiies are considered secondaiy to source reduc tion and should only oe used when pollution cannot be prevented. 

There have been a number of attempts to produce commercial lithium rechargeable batteries. The V205 positive is currently used by the Matsushita Battery Industrial Co in Japan for the production of small capacity, coin-type cells. Fig. 7.24 shows a cross-section of one prototype. For the construction of the battery, V205 and carbon black are mixed together with a binder, moulded and vacuum-dried to form the positive electrode pellet. A solution of LiBF4 in a propylene carbonate-y-butyrolactone-1,2-dimethoxyethane mixture absorbed in a polypropylene separator is used as the electrolyte. 

Tables 1 and 2 contain characteristics of various primary and secondary battery systems, respectively. Table 3 contains performance parameters for promising rechargeable battery systems in various stages of research and commercial development.

Combining the nickel cadmium and nickel-hydrogen systems technologies has given rise to the nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery, one of the most advanced rechargeable systems commercially available and an environmentally friendlier alternative to nickel-cadmium batteries. The cell and its reaction may be written ... 

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