Honda is now able to recycle materials from hybrid batteries

2288 Honda has developed processes that allow it to recycle the rare-earth minerals from nickel-hydrogen batteries. This is a significant step as the ability to recycle materials from hybrid vehicle batteries will help reduce production costs with the benefit of lowering the overall cost of such vehicles and also address concerns over supplies of the rare-earths. This step will also address some of the criticisms of the environmental factors with regard to hybrid vehicles batteries, due to the previous inability to recycle the rare-earth materials. Honda’s rare-earth material recycling programme is being carried out in partnership with Japan Metals & Chemical and will be based at the latter firm’s Oguni Works plant in Yamagata Prefecture. The process will allow 99% of the collected rare-earth substances to be purified using a combination of acid and heat. The Oguni Works will be able to recycle 80% of rare-earth substances from 1,000 used batteries/month. Honda is planning to increase recycling of hybrid vehicle batteries from Europe and the US, and extend the rare-earth recycling process to permanent magnet components used in the electric motors.