A look into Metallurgy and Materials Battery Recycling Laboratories

With over 30 laboratories throughout the main building of the Metallurgy and Materials department here at Birmingham, it can take years to get the full picture of what goes on behind these closed doors. Now that I am nearing the end of my second year, I feel like I’m only just beginning to unlock some of these doors, and it has brought a new sense of excitement for my degree which I didn’t realise was missing. Because of this, I wanted to put together this short blog post that highlights some of these often overlooked areas, in hopes to inspire some students to picture their own future here.

For this blog, I’ve decided to focus on one of the biggest research areas in our department which is the battery recycling laboratories. Managed by the Energy Materials Group, their research focuses on developing and improving batteries, from the materials inside them to how they can be manufactured and recycled more efficiently. Below is a very brief look into the processes we undertake in this research.

Battery Testing Chambers

The Battery Testing Chambers are located in a sealed building just outside the main Metallurgy and Materials building. This is where destructive battery testing takes place, including using a large shredder to start the recycling process. Batteries can sometimes explode during this process, which is why it happens in a completely separate, sealed facility. The lab also collaborates with automotive companies like Nissan, recycling old batteries and giving them a new lease on life. 

Battery Recycling Labs

The shredded batteries are then taken to a lab to sort apart the cathode, anode, and plastics that make up the battery. The extracted anodes and cathodes are refined into very fine particles, which are later used to manufacture our new batteries. 

Battery Manufacturing Labs

Battery manufacturing happens across a range of labs, including one particularly impressive space: the dry room. In this completely controlled environment, sensitive battery components are built under carefully regulated conditions, which is essential for making high-quality, reliable batteries. 

Battery Testing Labs

Finally, the batteries are put through a series of performance tests in our testing labs. These tests measure things like discharge rates, cyclic loading, and overall efficiency, helping the team understand how each battery performs and identify ways to make them even better.

I hope this glimpse behind the scenes inspires you to imagine yourself being part of this exciting work. I would also like to give a big thank you to Dr Daniel Reed for giving me a tour of these labs, and being so passionate about his research that it inspires every student he meets to feel the same.