Life Cycle Assessments of Long-term and Short-term Environmental Impacts for the Incineration of Spent Li-ion Batteries (LIBs)

전과정평가를 이용한 폐리튬이온전지의 소각에 대한 장/단기 환경영향 평가

  • Jeong, Soo-Jeong (Sustainability Division, Eco-Frontier Co.) ;
  • Lee, Ji-yong (Eco-product & System Laboratory, Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Konkuk University) ;
  • Sohn, Jeong-soo (Minerals & Materials Processing Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience & Mineral Resources) ;
  • Hur, Tak (Eco-product & System Laboratory, Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Konkuk University)
  • 정수정 (에코프론티어, 서스테이너빌리티사업부) ;
  • 이지용 (건국대학교 화학생물공학부, 친환경 제품 및시스템 연구실) ;
  • 손정수 (한국지질자원연구원 자원활용소재연구부) ;
  • 허탁 (건국대학교 화학생물공학부, 친환경 제품 및시스템 연구실)
  • Received : 2005.12.12
  • Accepted : 2006.03.21
  • Published : 2006.04.10

Abstract

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was carried out to identify and improve the environmental aspects associated with the present incineration system of spent Li-ion batteries (LIBs) in Korea. The environmental impact associated with the landfill of the incineration ash was also assessed in this study, while so far it was excluded in most studies. It was found out that the $CO_{2}$ emission from the electricity generation as well as the incineration process and heavy metals emissions to air and water accounted for about 90% of total environmental impacts. In particular, the effect of the emission of heavy metals were dominant. In oder to improve the current incineration system environmentally, it is needed to incinerate the wastes like spent LIBs which contained relatively high portion of heavy metals separately from other combustible wastes. On the other hand, the effect of the landfill of ash after incineration was insignificant since the ash from the incineration process was chemically stable.

현재 한국의 폐LIBs 소각시스템에 대한 환경적인 측면들을 규명하고, 개선시키기 위해서 전과정평가를 수행하였다. 본 연구에서는 기존의 대부분 연구에서는 생략이 되었던 소각재의 매립과 관련된 환경영향도 평가되었다. 전기 생산과정과 소각공정으로부터 배출되는 $CO_{2}$와 소각공정에서 대기와 수계로 배출되는 중금속에 의한 환경영향이 전체 환경영향의 약 90%를 차지하였다. 특히, 중금속의 배출에 의한 환경영향이 압도적인데, 이를 개선시키기 위해서는 폐LIBs 와 같이 중금속의 함량이 높은 폐기물은 일반폐기물과 분리하여 소각하는 것이 필요하다. 반면에 소각 후에 발생되는 소각재에 의한 환경영향은 미미하였다. 이는 소각재가 소각과정을 거치면서 이미 안정한 산화물을 형성한 것에 기인한다.

Keywords

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