BEGIN:VCALENDAR
PRODID:-//Microsoft Corporation//OutlookMIMEDIR//EN
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
CLASS:PUBLIC
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART:20260120T180000Z
DTEND:20260120T193000Z
DTSTAMP:20260613T010609Z
UID:{E27F30A9-864D-4203-A73539F6F7DC030C}
LOCATION:Cardiff University School of Engineering
SUMMARY:A Circular Economy of Lithium Ion and Future Batteries - Dr Gavin Harper (University of Birmingham)
DESCRIPTION:Dr Gavin Harper\n
 Research Fellow Centre for Strategic Elements & Critical Materials, University of Birmingham\n
 \n
 Link to lecture recording\n
 https://cardiff.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=c4551ba3-c328-45c9-8bfa-b3e100c6ecbc\n
 \n
 A Circular Economy of Lithium Ion and Future Batteries\n
 Tuesday the 20th of January 2026 at 18:00\n
 Room T2.09, Trevithick Building, Cardiff University, 5 The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA\n
 \n
 If you would like to join Gavin Harper's lecture online, please register using this link https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/049d27f0-6f7c-47d7-a8ce-2b0193f0a856@bdb74b30-9568-4856-bdbf-06759778fcbc\n
 \n
 Please note that it is necessary to pay for parking, instructions are displayed on signs in the car park.\n
 \n
 Abstract \n
 As the global transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage gathers pace, the lithium-ion battery has emerged as the "engine" of the net-zero revolution. However, this shift creates a paradox: while we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, we increase our dependence on a complex suite of Technology Critical Metals (TCMs)—including lithium, cobalt, and nickel—often sourced through ecologically and socially intensive mining.\n
 In this talk, we will explore the roadmap for moving from a linear "take-make-dispose" model to a truly circular economy for batteries. We will examine the current state of the art in battery end-of-life management, contrasting traditional pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical "shredding" routes with emerging, high-value pathways like direct recycling and automated robotic disassembly.\n
 A key focus will be the "Design for Recycle" philosophy. We will discuss why the decisions made by pack designers today dictate the recycling efficiency of tomorrow, and how standardisation—much like the success of the lead-acid battery—is vital for scaling the industry. Finally, looking beyond current chemistries, we will consider how the next generation of energy storage, such as sodium-ion and solid-state batteries, can have circularity "baked in" from the laboratory stage to but also addressing some of the thorny challenges in ensuring circularity with low-value chemistries in order to ensure a resilient and sustainable resource future.\n
 \n
 Biography:\n
 Dr. Gavin D. J. Harper is a leading interdisciplinary researcher and author specializing in the Circular Economy, Technology Critical Metals (TCMs), and the sustainable lifecycle of Lithium-Ion batteries. He is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham within the Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements & Critical Materials, which he co-founded.  He is also an Academic Collaborator & Affiliated Researcher at the Cambridge Industrial Resilience Group, at the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge.\n
 Gavin’s research bridges the gap between material science, engineering, and policy. His research has been published in high-impact journals such as Nature, Science, and Nature Sustainability, and he is a regular media commentator on the environmental challenges of the EV transition.\n
 
PRIORITY:1
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR