Dissipative application of lithium – lost for the future?

¹ Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
e-mail: saskia.ziemann@kit.edu
² Helmholtz Institute Ulm for Electrochemical Energy Storage (HIU), Hermann von Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

Received: 19 February 2012
Accepted: 23 October 2012

Abstract

In recent years, lithium received increasing attention as lithium-ion rechargeable batteries appear to be the most promising candidates for future electric vehicles. Several studies forecast a strong increase in demand most likely brought about with the implementation of lithium-ion batteries in the automotive sector. Thus, the availability of lithium could be an important constraint for this emerging technology. Concerning lithium availability the future developments of supply and demand as well as the recycling potential play major roles. In respect of recycling it has to be distinguished in general between dissipative and non-dissipative applications. As several studies (e.g. 1 G. Angerer, F. Marscheider-Weidemann, M. Wendl, M. Wietschel, Raw materials for emerging technologies: the case of lithium, Karlsuhe 2009) predict lithium recycling to play an important role for future lithium availability the recyclability of lithium in different applications has to be analysed for estimating the contribution of lithium recycling to future supply.