Abstract
ORNL is developing electrical safety practices for handling and disassembling automotive lithium ion batteries in a research environment. Online literature searches did not reveal any standard electrical safety practices for disassembling lithium ion battery stacks from automobiles. Until recently, there has been insufficient motivation to recycle or refurbish spent automotive lithium ion batteries due to limited volumes entering the secondary market. However, a growing volume of spent lithium ion batteries are beginning to collect in automobile salvage yards, recycling facilities, landfills, and other places due to a shortage of economically and environmentally viable end-of-life options. ORNL studied automotive battery pack, module, and cell dismantlement to understand the risks, hazards, and controls necessary to perform dismantlement safely and economically. Packs, modules, and cells were manually taken apart, while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, with insulated hand tools. These dismantlement studies point out the hazards and risks associated with dismantling automotive lithium ion batteries and describe practices for controlling such hazards and risks while demonstrating the controls through a case study of a first-generation Chevrolet Volt battery pack.
