PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (December 9, 2022) — Dr. Ananda Amarasekara, professor of chemistry at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), was awarded $774,676 by the Department of Energy (DoE) for his project “Li-Ion Battery Critical Metal Recycling Using Sugars.”
Dr. Amarasekara was thrilled about the opportunity this funding provides for the PVAMU Chemistry department.
“I am excited about the opportunities this grant can provide for Prairie View students in research and education,” said Amarasekara. “The goal of this project is to develop new technologies for recycling Li-ion batteries used in electric cars and in storage of electrical energy.”
Ananda Amarasekara, Ph.D. Professor, Chemistry
High purity sources of critical metals are of the utmost importance for our national economic security and transition to renewable energy. With the wide use of Li-ion batteries for energy storage, disposal or recycling of used batteries is becoming an important environmental concern and a critical research challenge. The electrode coating of common Li-ion batteries black material (LiBBM) is composed of valuable Li, Ni, Mn and Co critical metal-containing compounds mixed with graphite carbon. Most current academic studies are not concerned with isolation of Ni, Mn, Co and Li. Dr. Amarasekara’s proposed project will seek to extract Li, Ni, Mn and Co critical metals from Li-ion batteries black material under mild hydrothermal conditions.
The proposed research on recovery of pure Li, Ni, Mn and Co critical metals from spent Li-ion batteries is directly connected to developing clean energy technologies. Recycling Li, Ni, Mn, Co critical metals are an essential step in electrification of transportation using current Li-ion batteries. Recycling these metals can reduce the cost of Li-ion batteries, promoting the storage of clean electrical energy generated through solar, wind and tidal power in transition to renewable electrical energy.
“The proposed project on battery recycling is a major thrust area in the transition to sustainable energy sources such as wind and solar as well as in conversion to electric transportation,” said Amarasekara.
“The research Dr. Amarasekara is conducting has the potential to greatly influence the future of renewable energy,” said PVAMU Vice President of Research & Innovation Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA. “And publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations of research results at conferences will benefit the PVAMU Chemistry department, faculty, and students while enhancing the visibility of the many accomplished research activities at PVAMU.”
While the award is a single principle investigator grant, the allocation supports funding for one postdoctoral researcher and two graduate research assistants for the project. The graduate student will work on the project as his or her master’s thesis project, and will be involved in data analysis, presentation of results at conferences, and publication of peer-reviewed articles.
Additionally, two undergraduate students will be selected from Chemistry and Chemical Engineering major students who completed the organic chemistry lecture and laboratory courses (CHEM 2033, 2043). Dr. Amarasekara and the postdoctoral research associate will train the undergraduate students.
“This US department of energy grant will provide stipend supported research opportunities for selected chemistry major students from the current enrolment of over 125 majors and to selected Chemistry MS graduate students working on their thesis projects in renewable energy field,” said Amarasekara. “Furthermore, this grant will provide opportunities for Prairie View A&M students to be involved in a cutting edge applied research area vital to the US economy under the supervision of the principle investigator of the project.”
“This is a cutting-edge applied research grant providing an excellent opportunity to advance my research interest in renewable energy,” said Amarasekara. “The department, college and the university will benefit from these funds, which can be used for student stipends, chemicals and supplies for research, student travel to conferences as well as for maintenance of research instrumentation in the department.”
Jenna Craig