Webinar title: Advancing Separation Technologies for Sustainable Manufacturing of Lithium-ion Batteries

Speaker: Xi Chen

Webinar time: December 18th, 2024 (Wednesday) 10:00

Venue: Room 231, New Environmental Building

Inviter: Yanwen Shen

Abstract:

Circularizing the manufacturing of lithium-ion battery (LIBs) is critical to addressing global water-energy challenges. Separation technologies play key roles in LIB recycling, but the current methods suffer from intensive chemical and energy consumption, and inadequate separation precisions. This study advances the separation technologies for LIB recycling from multiple levels, including 1) life-cycle analysis of the environmental impacts of industrial-scale LIB recycling, 2) proposing a comprehensive framework to compare different separation technologies for LIB recycling, and 3) developing novel polymeric membrane materials for precise lithium extraction from sodium.

About the speaker:

Xi Chen is an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong (City U), School of Energy and Environment. Xi received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Columbia University in 2020, and conducted his postdoctoral studies in Stanford Chemical Engineering before joining City U. Xi holds a M.S. (2015) and B.S. (2013) from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Nankai University, respectively. His current and past research activities are focused on 1) developing high-precision separation technologies for sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling, 2) transport theory of polymeric membranes, 3) management and treatment of high-salinity brines, and 4) utilization of low-temperature heat resources. Xi has published 20 papers in foremost journals of the fields, including Nat. Commun., Environ. Sci. Technol., Water Res., etc. His collaboration with Redwood Materials (an emerging American battery recycling company) generated important guidance adopted by the company to improve their practical operations, and has been reported by Bloomberg. Xi has been awarded Zhou Enlai Scholarship (highest honor for a Nankai undergraduate), EGSC Development Scholarship at Columbia University, Travel Fellowship by NAMS, etc. He is a membrane of the early career board of Desalination and Environ. Sci. Ecotechnol. Beyond science, Xi also published and translated two books on Chinese philosophy and history of education.