From the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
The growing popularity of battery-powered cars could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they are not entirely Earth friendly. Problems can creep in when these batteries are disposed of. Scientists, in a new study in ACS’ journal Chemistry of Materials, are reporting that compounds increasingly used in lithium-ion batteries are toxic to a type of soil-dwelling bacteria that plays an important environmental role.
An estimated 20 million electric vehicles are expected to be on the road by 2020, according to an International Energy Agency report. Each one of these will likely contain more than 83 pounds of nanoscale cathode materials, potentially including a class of compounds called lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides (NMCs). These high-performing, low-cost compounds could soon become the material of choice for large-scale production of electric car batteries. But little is known about their toxicity. To find out more, Robert J. Hamers, Christy L. Haynes and colleagues studied the effects of NMC on a common, environmentally significant bacteria.
The researchers, led by graduate students Mimi Hang and Ian Gunsolus, found that one type of NMC partially dissolves in watery conditions similar to what might be found in a landfill, and releases lithium, nickel and cobalt ions. Nickel and cobalt ions dramatically slowed the growth of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, a bacteria that helps cycle metals in the environment. Based on their findings, the researchers suggest new efforts should be undertaken to design NMC materials that minimize release of toxic ions while maintaining their superior lithium intercalation properties.
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If pseudo-environmentalists are already sacrificing multicellular birds and bats on the altar of Green Power, then why not soil microbes?
Do they really think that companies will throw this stuff away?
‘The growing popularity of battery-powered cars’
Not really.
‘An estimated 20 million electric vehicles are expected to be on the road by 2020’
Sure they will.
lithium and the other metals ain’t that cheap
Recycle em for sure. Another learned treatise based on silly assumptions
Have you seen this one: the Nanoflowcell engine, the engine running on electric from two fluids
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2739768/The-sports-car-runs-SALTWATER-Vehicle-goes-0-60mph-2-8-seconds-just-approved-EU-roads.html
Here’s an interesting analysis of the hybrid and EV battery recycling issues.
“Lithium, for example, is so cheap that there’s no economic case for recovering it from lithium-ion batteries right now, says Todd Coy, executive vice president of recycler Kinsbursky Brothers. ”
http://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/what-happens-to-ev-and-hybrid-batteries.html
Sudbury, Ontario where they mine the nickel for batteries:
http://i68.tinypic.com/25utfnr.jpg
It was supposedly used as a practice lunar landscape by US astronauts.
Goes right along with the unintended consequences of using CFS light bulbs.
Why do we continue to listen to these people.
What ?? You mean the EPA didn’t take 5 or 6 years to study theses problems !
If you completely discharge a battery, in salt water, for example, what is left?
very small amounts of cathode or anode.
So I say put the battery material back from where they came… the earth.
Batteries bad for the environment? Who knew?
There are no good engineering reasons for EVs. You have to cherry pick a lot of data to show EVs reduce ghg. Maybe in France because nukes load follow part of the time.
Second air pollution is a thing of the past in North America. We cleaned up cities without EVs.
I am waiting for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to declare victory and revoke some of the dumber regulations. For example, I can not get a carburetor rebuild kit for my RV generator. New ones are available that meet CARB at only $300.
I suspect many car purchases are not based on practical evaluation. This goes double in California. How many jacked up 4wd do you see on the freeways that will never see snow. Not that the fools would what to do if it did snow. So EVs are just a status symbol of the pious. On course this would leave out EV rusting away in Bubba’s cotton field.
Well, not so clear. I speak as a holder of 13 US patents, four on energy storage, and an enthusiastic MY 2007 Ford hybrid Escape owner (well ok, the US tax subsidy alone repaid the car premium in less than 12 months…I was taught at HBS to never pass up a good deal).
So, to this post. 1. The cathode alloy cited is one of just three basic types. For example, NOT the cathode alloy in the Chevy Volt. 2. The materials in these batteries are recycled. Way too valuable to dump, except through negligence. 3. Picking one soil bacterium species out of tens of thousands smacks of cherry picking. I did not bother to do that research.
Bjorn Lomborg challenges Greens: Are Electric Cars really green?
$7500 subsidy to electric cars for $35 CO2 benefit at $35/ton CO2. That costs us tax payers a fortune.
Look what happened in Denmark: Denmark To Phase Out Electric Car Tax Breaks – Price Of Tesla Model S To Almost Triple
The key benefit of electric cars is to reduce the >95% dependence of transport on oil and move it to coal.
Anthony:
Link to paper?
How much dirty coal is burned to recharge these so called clean batteries?
Never seems to be any talk about the actual mining process and the conversion of the mined materials into batteries. That always is ,like, really “green”.
Are you saying that Greenies don’t really care for the environment? Say that ain’t so.
The point is that we need to avoid propagandistic snapshots and do a full life cycle analysis from recovery to reclamation in order to characterize a technology in context, determines its suitability to purpose, and assess its value on multiple fronts.
Another issue is the Rare Earths (The Lathanides – 15 elements) used in electric car batteries as well as wind turbines. The Toyota Prius for example uses 1kg. (2.2 lbs.) of Neodymium (Neodymium-iron-boron magnets) and 10kg. (22 lbs.) of Lanthanum. These are the same magnets that are used in wind turbines. The significance is that 95% to 100% of all Rare Earths are mined in China and it has been identified as one of the worst ongoing environmental disasters in the world. Not surprising given that China generates 80-85% of its electricity using some 2,000 unscrubbed coal-fired generating plants and has 18 of the world’s top 25 most air-polluted cities. China is cutting its exports of some of these materials and has also raised export taxes. It is encouraging western companies that need a steady supply of Lathanides to move their production facilities to China – why not, millions of western manufacturing jobs have already gone there. China has also forbidden foreign companies from investing in Its Rare Earth mining. It is also cutting exports of other key elements, including Tungsten, Antimony and Indium.
” superior lithium intercalation properties”
Say that three times fast.
skeohane
February 10, 2016 at 3:39 pm
Sudbury, Ontario where they mine the nickel for batteries: [photo of devastation]
Fifty year old photo. Its now a miracle forest!! The US astronaut stuff is urban myth. It was sulphur what done it, not nickel – Ni was recovered which was the operations point. Green eco should match their outdated promotional stuff, like the above with photos of today. It would be even a stronger message that sustainability you jokers are carping about is actually achievable. Otherwise your gloom and doom tends to turn people off. You guys, especially today after the dishonest global warming, civilization threatening propaganda, have got a lot of rehabilitation of yourselves to do. I’ve seen desperate armies of young unsuspecting students out on the streets in numbers I haven’t seen before trying to scrape up scarcer funds for Greenpeace and other corrupted organizations. I explain why they need to starve nearly to death and then remake themselves into respectable organizations if it can be done. I tell these young people, you are students – study the issues from all sides -don’t unwittingly sell your soul and your future to the devil.
Re the battery article, these guys are also out of date on the chemistry and wrong about the value of recycling lithium. Li-Fe-Phosphate is the cathode that has come to the top of the heap – Tesla and others’ mega plants will be turning out these types of Li-ion batteries. Not only is this “chemical” recyclable and environmentally friendly [How it works: when you charge the battery, the Li ion is released from the iron-phospate structure; when you discharge the battery, it returns to the iron-phosphate structure – recycler’s dream] but LiFePO4 also occurs naturally as the mineral Triphyllite. Lithium hydroxide monohydrate feedstock that goes into their manufacture has in this recession risen ~$US 10,000/t – it is easy and profitable to recover!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_iron_phosphate#Physical_and_chemical_properties
Of course the solution for those who want electric cars but not the batteries is to resurrect all those overhead lines the trolley cars used. The system would need to be expanded so the lines would run into everybody’s garages.
Pigeons would be all for it.
“The Toyota Prius is tested every day by thousands of independent owners. And it delivers. So what are you talking about?”
That is why I call it the Toyota Pious. People buy products that claim to be ‘green’ to feel good about themselves. EV and solar panel owner are guilty of confirmational bias.
Road and Track did an article of ‘green’ cars. They took cars on a road trip with professional drivers trying to achieve the best mileage. The VW TDI diesel out performed the Pious by a wide margin. The Pious did much worse that EPA rating while the VW did better.
The reason to not spend more to save the planet, is the planet does not need saving. I am always skeptical when I am urged to take more money out of my pocket to save money in the long run. Spark plugs are an example of something that I would spend more on. However, I just replaced on the RV with standard plugs because I expect the plugs will outlive me.
I am retired. I walked to the parts store picking up cans along the way.
For those who wonder what cost of producing power, you can see what is being bid at at http://www.pjm.com/ in the lower left corner (2-4 cent per kwh). Of course if demand is very high, you will also see how much utilities pay to keep the lights on. Of course there is transmission cost too.
“We are thankful for cheap coal fired electricity in Indiana at 8.73 c/kWh average!”
I went to high school and college in Indiana where redistribution of wealth is not very popular. Do not blame wind or solar for the taxes hidden in your utility bill.
I keep reading about these studies that are led by graduate students/doctorlal candidates. Where are the full professors who don’t have time for underclass students because of their research commitments? Why are grad students getting press when they haven’t demonstrated proficiency, i.e. earned a degree?