3 of 26

Lithium-Ion Batteries By the Numbers (READING LINK)

What number is lithium on the Periodic Table?
What are the general properties of lithium?
What are the physical properties of lithium?
Draw and label the lithium atom.
What percentage of Earth’s crust is lithium?
What is a cycle?
At what temp does lithium boil? How does this compare to the temp water boils?
When and where were lithium-ion batteries introduced and by whom?
Why did Sony recall 10 million lithium-ion batteries in 2006?
How has the cost of lithium-ion batteries changed from 2012 until now?
Describe the world’s largest lithium-ion battery.
How many lithium-ion batteries are transported by air each year?
Why do you think NASA chose to use lithium-ion batteries in the Curiosity Martian rover?

4 of 26

Do Now: 3.21/22/23

Extraction: the action of removing something, especially using effort or force.
Open-Pit Mining: a surface mining technique of extracting rock or minerals from the earth from an open-air pit
Brine Extraction: the extraction of any desirable compounds or elements from a naturally occurring salt solution
Spodumene: a lithium containing mineral located across the world from Africa to North America and Australia.

5 of 26

Agenda:

Extraction to E-Waste Part 1: Extraction

Open-Pit Mining: Pros and Cons
Brine Extraction: Pros and Cons

LOCAL CONNECTION: Mining in Minnesota’s Iron Range

6 of 26

Mining Methods: Pros and Cons

The primary component of the lithium-ion battery is, of course, lithium.
The extraction of lithium is done using two primary methods: open-pit mining of spodumene or brine extraction.

7 of 26

Mining Methods: Pros and Cons

Let’s explore the pros and cons of these mining methods.
Use the linked reading to complete the charts in your notebook.

PROS	CONS
Efficient Safer than tunnel mining Resources easier to access with larger machinery Cost effective	Eliminates plants and animals at mine site Erosion/landslides.rockslides in pit AMD Water pollution Toxic soils and dust

PROS	CONS
More “economically feasible” i.e. cheaper Technology is rapidly evolving	Time to evaporate Brine is toxic to living things Removes groundwater Chemical treatments pollute waterways and groundwater

OPEN PIT MINING

BRINE EXTRACTION

8 of 26

Lithium Ion Battery Resources: Where and Why

There is a long list of component resources in a lithium-ion battery.
For this activity we will focus on just 5:

Cobalt
Copper
Lithium
Aluminum
Carbon (as Graphite)

9 of 26

Lithium Ion Battery Resources 2019: Cobalt

	Why used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it mined?	Top 5 Global Producers
Cobalt	Cobalt is a chemical element often added to alloys, two or more metallic elements, to improve their strength at high temperatures.	Cobalt is used as part of an active material (LiCoO2) that is applied to the cathode and acts as a lithium receptor in the electrochemical charge-discharge process.	Open pit mining as a byproduct of other mineral mining activities; “clandestine” illegal tunnel mines	Philippines Cuba Papua New Guinea Morocco South Africa

REAL WORLD CONNECTION: The only cobalt mine in the US

10 of 26

Lithium Ion Battery Resources 2019: Copper

	Why used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it mined?	Top 5 Global Producers
Copper	Refined copper is a very ductile metal: it can be easily shaped into a thin foil, wire, or thread. Copper is also highly conductive, thermally and electrically.	Because of these qualities, copper foil is used as the current collector at the anode of a lithium-ion battery. In the lithium-ion battery of a mobile phone, current collectors take the form of a foil and must be conductive enough to receive the electrical current.	Open pit mining	Chile Peru China USA DRC

11 of 26

Lithium Ion Battery Resources 2019: Lithium

	Why used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it mined?	Top 5 Global Producers
Lithium	Lithium is the lightest solid element in the Periodic Table. - Lithium in the form of lithium-ion (Li+) moves between electrodes. The movement of Li+ is responsible for creating an electrical current. - Lithium in the form of an oxide (LiCoO2, or lithium cobalt oxide) is used as the active component of the cathode.	Li+ ions move between the battery’s cathode and anode internally, and electrons move in the opposite direction in the external circuit. This migration is the reason the battery powers the device, because it creates the electrical current.	Brine Extraction Spodumene Open-Pit Mining	Australia Chile China Argentina Zimbabwe

12 of 26

Lithium Ion Battery Resources 2019: Aluminum

	Why used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it mined?	Top 5 Global Producers
Aluminum	Aluminum metal is very ductile: it can be easily shaped into a thin foil, wire, or thread. Aluminum is also highly conductive, thermally and electrically moving heat energy.	Because of these qualities, aluminum foil is used as the current collector at the cathode of a lithium-ion battery. In the lithium-ion battery of a mobile phone, current collectors take the form of foil and must be conductive enough to receive the electrical current.	Open-pit mining	China India UAE Canada Australia

13 of 26

Lithium Ion Battery Resources 2019: Graphite Carbon

	Why used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it used in lithium ion batteries?	How is it mined?	Top 5 Global Producers
Graphite Carbon		Carbon, in the form of graphite, is used as a component of the anode. The porous graphite serves as the location where lithium ions migrate to and from when the battery cell discharges and charges.	Open Pit Mining Refining Oil	China Brazil Canada India Ukraine (pre-war)

14 of 26

Lithium Ion Battery Resources

Add this illustration to your notebook.

15 of 26

Do Now: 3.27/28.23

Stakeholder: a person with an interest or concern in something; can be both NATURAL stakeholders and human stakeholders.
Development: the process of converting land to a new purpose by constructing buildings or making use of its resources.
Sustainable Development: economic development that is conducted without depletion of natural resources.

16 of 26

REAL WORLD CONNECTION: Thacker Pass: Part 1

Electric Vehicle’s Battery Problem

We are going to take a look at a portion of this video to help Identify the Problem and Learn the Specs.

17 of 26

Thacker Pass: Stakeholders

There are many stakeholders in the Thacker Pass fight. Here are a few:

Farmers/Ranchers: Concerned about water supply to raise crops and livestock
Native Tribes: View the land around the mine as sacred and historically and culturally significant.
Conservationists/Environmentalists: Want to protect the natural environment around the mine site.
Local Water District: The mine water requirements will strain an already drought stricken area.
Lithium Americas Company: Want to extract lithium and bring that lithium to market for profit.
Miners: The mine would be a source of work and income to support themselves and their families
Electric Vehicle Manufacturers: Need the lithium extracted for batteries for electric vehicles.
US Government: Domestic supply of lithium decreases dependance on foreign sources

18 of 26

Real World Connection: Thacker Pass :

Thacker Pass, Nevada may hold the world’s largest deposit of lithium, essential to EV production and, to some, US National Security.
However, conservationists and Native tribes see the land as sacred, and worry the mine will destroy the environment.
If you want to look at the issue of lithium mining from both sides, Thacker Pass is a GREAT place to start. HERE is a summary.

19 of 26

Agenda:

Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing

20 of 26

Lithium Ion Battery Manufacturing

When is the battery officially called a battery?
List and summarize the 7 steps in producing a pouch cell. (Do not just copy from the website. Put info in your own words.) You can also use illustrations as long as they are labeled.
Why do the batteries need to go through a charge cycling procedure?
List the Top 5 pouch cell producing countries from most produced to least produced. Include the percentages.
Why is it important to avoid defects in the manufacture of pouch cells?
What contaminants are “defects of concern?”
What happens when water enters the pouch?
How do burrs contribute to pouch cell failure?

21 of 26

REAL WORLD CONNECTION:

Read this article.
In your notebook, answer these questions:

Describe how China came to dominate the manufacture of lithium ion batteries.
Describe why the US (or really any other country) will have a hard time catching up.

22 of 26

Lithium-Ion Battery Transportation

Who are some of the stakeholders RE: transportation of lithium-ion batteries?
How do safety scientists fit in to the transportation of lithium-ion batteries?
Who are the Top 10 countries for cellphone manufacturing?
Why is the transportation of lithium-ion batteries a cause for concern?
What is the maximum State of Charge allowed for shipping lithium-ion batteries?
Why must packages be secured?
Sketch the warning label added to boxes containing lithium-ion batteries.
What are the weight and drop height requirements?

23 of 26

Do Now: 4.14/17.23

E-Waste: AKA “electronic waste”, “e-scrap, or “end-of-life electronics” are electronics that are nearing the end of their useful life, and are discarded, donated or given to a recycler

24 of 26

E-Waste: Introduction

How E-waste is Harming Our World

25 of 26

E-Waste: Identify the Problem and Learn the Specs: Part 1

How much e-waste is created globally each year?
What type of electronics make up the largest portion of e-waste?
In 30 years, how will the amount of e-waste compare to today?
For China, Japan, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Italy, and Ireland, compare incoming and outgoing e-waste using the scale below.

How does the amount of e-waste recycled compare to the amount thrown away?
What is leaching?
How does lead affect human health?
How does arsenic affect human health?
How does mercury affect human health?

1 = Much more coming in than going out	2 = Some more coming in than going out	3 = About equal	4 = Some more going out than coming in	5 = Much more going out than coming in

26 of 26

E-Waste: Identify the Problem and Learn the Specs: Part 2

What often happens to e-waste when it is sent to developing countries?
Why is e-waste often burned?
How does inhaling smoke and fumes from burning e-waste impact human health?
Who is harmed by burning of e-waste?
How is children’s health impacted by burning e-waste?
How are water supplies impacted by burning e-waste?
How are food crops impacted by burning e-waste?
Where are the long-term impacts of burning e-waste seen?
Examine the e-waste picture from Utah.

What individual items can you pick-out?
What do you see as the e-waste that most makes up this pile?

Examine the picture from Lagos, Nigeria.

What e-waste do you see mixed in with the trash?
Without judgment of the people who live there, make some predictions about the environmental and health impacts of this scenario.