NEW ORLEANS — Clare Davis-Wheeler Chin, an LSU New Orleans alum and nanomaterials chemist at Sandia National Laboratories, is one of the inventors of a microwave-based method that can transform materials from spent lithium-ion batteries into useful new materials. Kirsten Jones, a former Sandia intern and doctoral student at LSU New Orleans, also contributed to developing the method.
The research focuses on lithium cobalt oxide, a material commonly used in lithium-ion battery cathodes. Using an adjustable microwave reactor, researchers can convert the material into nanosheets in about two hours, which is significantly faster than the approximately seven days required using a previous method. This new process also converts approximately 95% of the material into nanosheets, compared with 60% previously.
“Cobalt is a critical material for almost all consumer electronics,” said Davis-Wheeler Chin. “Since there’s only one main source of cobalt, it would be very easy for the cobalt supply chain to just disappear. We’re about to have an abundance of old EV batteries that are either going to go to the landfill or that we can mine to develop a domestic supply.”
Jones began working on the project during an internship at Sandia National Laboratories in 2023 before continuing her research through the laboratory of her LSU New Orleans adviser, John Wiley. The work highlights the impact of research opportunities at LSU New Orleans and the contributions its students and alumni are making to scientific innovation beyond campus.
“This research has the potential to advance clean energy by not only recycling, but upcycling lithium-ion batteries to make them more useful,” Jones said.
Read the full Sandia National Laboratories release, “Mining Batteries ina Microwave,” here.