Empa

Empa and Kyburz Switzerland AG are looking for ways to recycle end-of-life lithium-ion batteries in an efficient and resource-saving way. A specially developed experimental facility breaks down the old batteries into their components so that materials can be recovered as clean as possible.

After their production, which emits a lot of carbon dioxide, cement-based building materials such as concrete absorb the climate gas again – a process that takes decades and can hardly be controlled. What if it could be accelerated to protect the climate? Empa researchers are collaborating with numerous partners in an elaborate project to find a solution that already takes place in the concrete production plant. Initial results are encouraging.

Environmentally friendly, ubiquitously available and recyclable: Clay is a clean alternative among building materials. Empa researcher Ellina Bernard is trying to find out how the coveted material can actually be used to build in a sustainable and stable way. Her research project is being funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) with an Ambizione grant.

Although strict limits exist, old types of batteries can still contain too many hazardous ingredients such as mercury, cadmium and lead. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has therefore launched a control campaign. Empa has laid the foundations for this with a novel tailor-made method for analyzing heavy metals.