MNTRC MINETA NATIONAL TRANSIT RESEARCH CONSORTIUM Remanufacturing, Repurposing, and Lithium-Ion of Recycling Batteries Funded by U.S. Department of Transportation Remanufacturing, Repurposing, and Recycling of Post-Vehicle-Application Lithium-Ion Batteries MNTRC Report 12-20 MNTRC MNTRC Report 12-20 June 2014 MNTRC MINETA NATIONAL TRANSIT RESEARCH CONSORTIUM MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE MTI FOUNDER LEAD UNIVERSITY OF MNTRC Hon. Norman Y. Mineta The Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies was established by Congress in the MTI/MNTRC BOARD OF TRUSTEES Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). The Institute’s Board of Trustees revised the name to Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) in 1996. Reauthorized in 1998, MTI was selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation Founder, Honorable Norman Thomas Barron (TE 2015) Nuria Fernandez (TE 2014) Dr. David Steele (Ex-Officio) through a competitive process in 2002 as a national “Center of Excellence.” The Institute is funded by Congress through the Mineta (Ex-Officio) Executive Vice President General Manager/CEO Dean, College of Business United States Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, the California Legislature Secretary (ret.), US Department of Strategic Initiatives Valley Transportation San José State University Transportation Parsons Group Authority through the Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and by private grants and donations. Vice Chair Michael Townes* (TE 2014) Hill & Knowlton, Inc. Joseph Boardman (Ex-Officio) Rose Guilbault (TE 2014) Senior Vice President Chief Executive Officer Vice President (ret.) National Transit Services Leader The Institute receives oversight from an internationally respected Board of Trustees whose members represent all major surface Honorary Chair, Honorable Bill Amtrak American Automobile Association CDM Smith transportation modes. MTI’s focus on policy and management resulted from a Board assessment of the industry’s unmet needs Shuster (Ex-Officio) Chair Donald Camph (TE 2016) Ed Hamberger (Ex-Officio) Bud Wright (Ex-Officio) and led directly to the choice of the San José State University College of Business as the Institute’s home. The Board provides House Transportation and President President/CEO Executive Director policy direction, assists with needs assessment, and connects the Institute and its programs with the international transportation Infrastructure Committee Aldaron, Inc. Association of American Railroads American Association of State United States House of Highway and Transportation Officials community. Representatives Anne Canby (TE 2014) Diane Woodend Jones (TE 2016) (AASHTO) Director Principal and Chair of Board Honorary Co-Chair, Honorable OneRail Coalition Lea+Elliot, Inc. Edward Wytkind (Ex-Officio) MTI’s transportation policy work is centered on three primary responsibilities: Nick Rahall (Ex-Officio) President Vice Chair Grace Crunican (TE 2016) Will Kempton (TE 2016) Transportation Trades Dept., House Transportation and General Manager Executive Director AFL-CIO Research Infrastructure Committee Bay Area Rapid Transit District Transportation California MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of Department of Transportation, MTI delivers its classes over United States House of government and the private sector to foster the development Representatives Julie Cunningham (TE 2015) Jean-Pierre Loubinoux (Ex-Officio) (TE) = Term Expiration or Ex-Officio a state-of-the-art videoconference network throughout President/CEO Director General * = Past Chair, Board of Trustee of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas in- the state of California and via webcasting beyond, allowing Chair, Steve Heminger (TE 2015) Conference of Minority International Union of Railways clude: transportation security; planning and policy development; working transportation professionals to pursue an advanced Executive Director Transportation Officials (UIC) Metropolitan Transportation interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the degree regardless of their location. To meet the needs of Commission William Dorey (TE 2014) Michael Melaniphy (Ex-Officio) environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labor- employers seeking a diverse workforce, MTI’s education Board of Directors President & CEO Vice Chair, Stephanie Pinson Granite Construction, Inc. American Public Transportation management relations. Certified Research Associates conduct program promotes enrollment to under-represented groups. (TE 2015) Association (APTA) the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, gener- President/COO Malcolm Dougherty (Ex-Officio) Gilbert Tweed Associates, Inc. Director Jeff Morales (TE 2016) ally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and profession- Information and Technology Transfer California Department of CEO al references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed MTI promotes the availability of completed research to Executive Director, Rod Diridon* Transportation California High-Speed Rail Authority (Ex-Officio) publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, professional organizations and journals and works to Mineta Transportation Institute Mortimer Downey* (TE 2015) Beverley Swaim-Staley (TE 2016) the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu). integrate the research findings into the graduate education San José State University Senior Advisor President Parsons Brinckerhoff Union Station Redevelopment program. In addition to publishing the studies, the Institute Corporation Education also sponsors symposia to disseminate research results The educational goal of the Institute is to provide graduate-lev- to transportation professionals and encourages Research el education to students seeking a career in the development Associates to present their findings at conferences. The Directors and operation of surface transportation programs. MTI, through World in Motion, MTI’s quarterly newsletter, covers San José State University, offers an AACSB-accredited Master of innovation in the Institute’s research and education pro- Hon. Rod Diridon, Sr. Peter Haas, Ph.D. Brian Michael Jenkins Science in Transportation Management and a graduate Certifi- grams. MTI’s extensive collection of transportation-related Executive Director Education Director National Transportation Safety and Security Center cate in Transportation Management that serve to prepare the na- publications is integrated into San José State University’s tion’s transportation managers for the 21st century. The master’s world-class Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Karen Philbrick, Ph.D. Donna Maurillo Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Ph.D. Deputy Executive Director and Research Director Communications Director National Transportation Finance Center degree is the highest conferred by the California State Uni- versity system. With the active assistance of the California DISCLAIMER The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the information presented MNTRC herein. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program and the California Department of Transportation, in the interest of information exchange. This report does not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the U.S. government, State of California, or the Mineta Transportation Institute, who assume no liability MINETA NATIONAL TRANSIT for the contents or use thereof. This report does not constitute a standard specification, design standard, or regulation. RESEARCH CONSORTIUM REPORT 12-20 REMANUFACTURING, REPURPOSING, AND RECYCLING OF POST-VEHICLE-APPLICATION LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES Charles R. Standridge, Ph.D. Lindsay Corneal, Ph.D. June 2014 A publication of Mineta National Transit Research Consortium College of Business San José State University San José, CA 95192-0219 TECHNICAL REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. CA-MNTRC-14-1137 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date Remanufacturing, Repurposing, and Recycling of Post-Vehicle-Application June 2014 Lithium-Ion Batteries 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Authors 8. Performing Organization Report Charles R. Standridge, Ph.D. and Lindsay Corneal, Ph.D. MNTRC Report 12-20 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. Mineta National Transit Research Consortium College of Business San José State University 11. Contract or Grant No. San José, CA 95192-0219 DTRT12-G-UTC21 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered U.S. Department of Transportation Grand Valley State University Final Report Research & Innovative Technology Admin. Office of Sponsored Programs 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 049 James H. Zumberge Hall 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Washington, DC 20590 1 Campus Drive Allendal, MI 49401 15. Supplemental Notes 16. Abstract As lithium-ion batteries are an efficient energy storage mechanism, their use in vehicles is increasing to support electrification to meet increasing average mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas emission standards. Principles of environmentalism and sustainability suggest the development of processes for the remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling of post-vehicle- application lithium-ion batteries. Proprietary commercial processes for remanufacturing for reuse in vehicles require safe battery testing that is supported