b'Building Better BatteriesRecycling electronics As part of DOEs Battery500As Americans discard their cellphones, consortium, INL researchers are workingthey are throwing away nearly $200 to develop high-energy, long-livedmillion in unrecovered gold every year, electric vehicle batteries. The Battery500according to the U.S. Environmental goals forced them to think outside theProtection Agency. The problem has been lab, resulting in discoveries explaininga lack of affordable or environmentally why battery designers need to payfriendly recycling options. A less toxic attention to the real world. For example,process developed at INL may offer a way experimental studies may use moreto affordably recover precious metals from electrolyte than is practical in real-worldelectronic devices. The Electrochemical applications, resulting in a battery thatRecycling Electronic Constituents of will be too heavy when expanded to aValue (E-RECOV) process offers an unit designed for use in electric economically competitive alternative to vehicles. traditional smelting processes. California based Quantum Ventura was awarded a DOE grant to study the feasibility of commercializing E-RECOV.21'