MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – As advances on technology create a greater need for lithium-ion batteries, the ability to recycle them to sustain the environment is becoming even more important. A professor at UW-Milwaukee is behind a method that could transform them into something essential.

By extracting ingredients from used lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, Mechanical Engineering Professor Deyang Qu has developed a strategy to transform EV batteries into fertilizer.

“We feel very good about it. We can introduce a new product, we can solve some of the problem, and in the meantime, we can educate our students,” Qu said.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Using a well-established ion-exchange process, Qu and his team were the first to recover lithium from the LFP materials by replacing it with potassium. The remaining elements include phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, which are key ingredients in fertilizer.

“This whole process is just like the water softening in our homes. Like in the water softening, we turn calcium or magnesium into sodium. In this process, it’s the same idea. We turn lithium into potassium,” said Xiao Xaio Zhang, a research scientist at UW-Milwaukee on Qu’s team.

Qu says fertilizer is a high-value product essential for maintaining food security in the state.

“The fertilizer is a very critical product, especially for a state like Wisconsin, an agriculture state. So, if we can convert the waste into a value-added fertilizer, that’s good for our economy,” Qu said.

You can read more about their work here.