Scientists at the Technology University of Vienna (TU Wien) have found a way to turn battery waste into fuel, developing a nanocatalyst that converts CO2 into methane using spent batteries and aluminium foil.
The process extracts nickel from nickel-metal hydride batteries and alumina from discarded aluminium foil to create a high-performance catalyst that can transform CO2 and hydrogen into methane at relatively low temperatures. Unlike many industrial catalysts that require high pressure and temperatures exceeding 500°C, it functions at atmospheric pressure and 250°C.
Nickel recovery is also an economic priority due to its role in clean energy technologies like electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The EU could source up to 16% of its nickel demand from battery waste by 2030, enough for up to 2.4 million EV batteries annually, according to the European Federation for Transport & Environment. However, current recycling capacity is only one-tenth of what is needed.
At the heart of the new process is a nanocatalyst, which is an ultra-small catalyst with a high surface area that makes chemical reactions more efficient.
What is a nanocatalyst?
A nanocatalyst is a tiny substance that speeds up chemical reactions. Made from materials at the nanoscale – about 1 to 100 nanometres in size – it has a much larger surface area than regular catalysts. This allows it to work more efficiently, making chemical processes faster and often requiring less energy.
“Recycling is an important step, but even greater impact can be achieved by upcycling nickel into catalysts capable of producing fuels,” said Dr Qaisar Maqbool, first author of the study.
Methane, a key industrial energy source, is widely used in manufacturing and heating. While typically derived from fossil fuels, this method offers a way to produce it sustainably from captured CO2.
The researchers from TU Wien that developed the battery waste recycling process © TU Wien
“Our approach shows a solution to the climate problem and in a way that also helps to solve a pressing waste problem,” said Professor Günther Rupprechter, project lead at TU Wien.
Additionally, the recycled catalyst remains stable over time, avoiding the common issue of deactivation due to carbon buildup. Even when performance eventually declines, the researchers claim that it can then be recycled back into its original materials.
