I-Cobalt sisinyithi esisetyenziswa kwiibhetri ezininzi zezithuthi zombane. Iindaba zezokuba iTesla iza kusebenzisa iibhetri "ezingena-cobalt", kodwa loluphi uhlobo "lwesixhobo" i-cobalt? Ndiza kushwankathela ulwazi olusisiseko ofuna ukulwazi.
Igama layo yiConflict Minerals evela kwiDemon
Ngaba uyayazi into yokuba i-cobalt ayifumanekanga kwiibhetri zezithuthi zombane (ii-EV) kunye neefowuni eziphathwayo kuphela, kodwa ikwasetyenziswa kwii-alloys zesinyithi ze-cobalt ezingatshisi ubushushu ezifana neenjini zejethi kunye nee-drill bits, iimagnethi zezithethi, kwaye, ngokumangalisayo, ukucocwa kweoyile. I-Cobalt ibizwa ngegama elithi "Kobold," isilo esihlala sivela kwiintsomi zesayensi ze-dungeon, kwaye kwakukholelwa eYurophu yamandulo ukuba baphosa umlingo kwimigodi ukuze benze iintsimbi ezinzima nezinobuthi. kunjalo.
Ngoku, nokuba kukho izilo emgodini okanye akunjalo, i-cobalt inobungozi kwaye inokubangela iingozi ezinkulu zempilo ezifana ne-pneumoconiosis ukuba awunxibi izixhobo zokuzikhusela ezifanelekileyo. Nangona iDemocratic Republic of Congo ivelisa ngaphezulu kwesiqingatha se-cobalt yehlabathi, umgodi omncinci (umgodi wobugcisa) apho abantu abahlwempuzekileyo abangenamisebenzi bemba imingxuma ngezixhobo ezilula ngaphandle koqeqesho lokhuseleko.), Iingozi zokuwa zenzeka rhoqo, abantwana banyanzelwa ukuba basebenze ixesha elide befumana umvuzo ophantsi omalunga ne-200 yen ngosuku, kwaye ne-Amatsu ngumthombo wemali yamaqela axhobileyo, ngoko ke i-cobalt ikunye negolide, i-tungsten, i-tin, kunye ne-tantalum. , Yabizwa ngokuba yi-conflict minerals.
Nangona kunjalo, ngokusasazeka kwee-EV kunye neebhetri ze-lithium-ion, kwiminyaka yakutshanje iinkampani zehlabathi ziqalise ukuphanda ukuba ingaba i-cobalt eveliswa ziindlela ezingafanelekanga, kuquka uthotho lokubonelela nge-cobalt oxide kunye ne-cobalt hydroxide, iyasetyenziswa na.
Umzekelo, iinkampani ezinkulu zebhetri iCATL kunye neLG Chem zithatha inxaxheba kwi-"Responsible Cobalt Initiative (RCI)" ekhokelwa yiTshayina, ikakhulu zisebenzela ukuphelisa ukuqeshwa kwabantwana.
Ngowama-2018, iFair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), umbutho worhwebo lwe-cobalt, yasekwa njengenyathelo lokukhuthaza ukucaca kunye nokuba semthethweni kwenkqubo yokwemba i-cobalt. Abathathi-nxaxheba baquka iTesla, etya iibhetri ze-lithium-ion, inkampani entsha ye-EV yaseJamani iSono Motors, inkampani enkulu yaseSwitzerland iGlencore, kunye neHuayu Cobalt yaseTshayina.
Xa sijonga eJapan, iSumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., ethengisa ngobuninzi izixhobo ze-electrode ezintle zeebhetri ze-lithium-ion kwiPanasonic, yaseka "uMgaqo-nkqubo woThengo oluNgxamisekileyo lweZixhobo eziLuhlaza zeCobalt" ngo-Agasti 2020 kwaye yaqala ukuphonononga nokubeka esweni.
Kwixesha elizayo, njengoko iinkampani ezinkulu ziza kuqalisa iiprojekthi zemigodi ezilawulwa ngokufanelekileyo nganye emva kwenye, abasebenzi kuya kufuneka bathathe umngcipheko baze bangene kwimigodi emincinci, kwaye imfuno iya kuncipha kancinci kancinci.
Ukunqongophala okucacileyo kwe-cobalt
Okwangoku, inani lee-EV lisencinci, apho zizonke zizigidi ezisi-7 kuphela, kuquka nezigidi ezi-2.1 ezithengisiweyo kwihlabathi liphela ngo-2019. Kwelinye icala, inani lilonke leemoto zeenjini ehlabathini kuthiwa liyibhiliyoni eli-1 okanye i-1.3 yezigidigidi, kwaye ukuba iimoto zepetroli ziyacinywa kwaye zitshintshwe zii-EV kwixesha elizayo, kuya kufuneka isixa esikhulu se-cobalt cobalt oxide kunye ne-cobalt hydroxide.
Isixa siphela se-cobalt esisetyenzisiweyo kwiibhetri ze-EV ngo-2019 sasiziitoni ezili-19,000, oko kuthetha ukuba umyinge we-9 kg ye-cobalt wawufuneka kwisithuthi ngasinye. Ukwenza ii-EV ezi-1 bhiliyoni nge-9 kg nganye kufuna iitoni ezi-9 zezigidi ze-cobalt, kodwa iindawo ezigciniweyo zehlabathi zi-7.1 yezigidi zeetoni kuphela, kwaye njengoko kukhankanyiwe ekuqaleni, iitoni ezili-100,000 kwamanye amashishini minyaka le. Ekubeni sisinyithi esisetyenziswa kakhulu, sibonakala sinciphile njengoko sinjalo.
Intengiso ye-EV kulindeleke ukuba ikhule ngokuphindwe kalishumi ngo-2025, ngemfuno yonyaka yeetoni ezingama-250,000, kuquka iibhetri ezisetyenziswa emotweni, ii-alloys ezikhethekileyo kunye nezinye iindlela zokusetyenziswa. Nokuba imfuno ye-EV ingancitshiswa, iya kuphelelwa zizo zonke iindawo ezigciniweyo ezaziwa ngoku kwisithuba seminyaka engama-30.
Ngenxa yesi sizathu, abaphuhlisi beebhetri basebenza nzima imini nobusuku becinga ngendlela yokunciphisa ubungakanani be-cobalt. Umzekelo, iibhetri ze-NMC ezisebenzisa i-nickel, i-manganese, kunye ne-cobalt ziphuculwa yi-NMC111 (i-nickel, i-manganese, kunye ne-cobalt ziyi-1: 1. Ubungakanani be-cobalt buncitshiswe kancinci ukusuka kwi-1: 1) ukuya kwi-NMC532 kunye ne-NMC811, kwaye i-NMC9.5.5 (umlinganiselo we-cobalt yi-0.5) ngoku isaphuhliswa.
I-NCA (i-nickel, i-cobalt, i-aluminium) esetyenziswa yiTesla inciphisa umxholo we-cobalt ukuya kwi-3%, kodwa iModel 3 eyenziwe eTshayina isebenzisa ibhetri ye-lithium iron phosphate (LFP) engena-cobalt. Kukwakho neendidi eziye zamkelwe. Nangona i-LFP ingaphantsi kwe-NCA ngokwendlela esebenza ngayo, ineempawu zezixhobo ezingabizi kakhulu, ukubonelela okuzinzileyo, kunye nobomi obude.
Kwaye kwi-"Tesla Battery Day" ecwangciselwe ukuqala ngentsimbi yesi-6:30 kusasa nge-23 kaSeptemba 2020 ngexesha laseTshayina, kuza kubhengezwa ibhetri entsha engena-cobalt, kwaye iza kuqala ukuveliswa ngobuninzi nePanasonic kwiminyaka embalwa ezayo. Kulindeleke.
Ngendlela, eJapan, “iimetali ezinqabileyo” kunye “nee-rare earths” zihlala zibhidaniswa. Iimetali ezinqabileyo zisetyenziswa kushishino kuba “ukufumana umbane ozinzileyo kubalulekile ngokwemigaqo-nkqubo phakathi kweemetali ezibuninzi bazo emhlabeni bunqabile okanye kunzima ukuzikhupha ngenxa yezizathu zobugcisa nezoqoqosho (uMphathiswa wezoQoqosho, uRhwebo kunye noShishino)”. Yimetali engenasinyithi esetyenziswa rhoqo, kwaye ligama eliqhelekileyo leentlobo ezingama-31 eziquka i-lithium, i-titanium, i-chromium, i-cobalt, i-nickel, i-platinum, kunye nee-rare earths. Kwezi, ii-rare earths zibizwa ngokuba zii-rare earths, kwaye iintlobo ezili-17 ezifana ne-neodymium kunye ne-dysprosium ezisetyenziselwa iimagnethi ezisisigxina ziyachazwa.
Ngenxa yokunqongophala komthombo we-cobalt, ishiti yesinyithi ye-cobalt kunye nomgubo, kunye neekhompawundi ze-cobalt ezifana ne-cobalt chloride, kwane-hexaamminecobalt(III) chloride ayifumaneki lula.
Ikhefu elinoxanduva kwi-cobalt
Njengoko ukusebenza okufunekayo kwii-EV kusanda, kulindeleke ukuba iibhetri ezingadingi i-cobalt, ezifana neebhetri eziqinileyo kunye neebhetri ze-lithium-sulfur, ziya kutshintsha kwixesha elizayo, ngoko ke ngethamsanqa asicingi ukuba izixhobo ziya kuphela. Nangona kunjalo, oko kuthetha ukuba imfuno ye-cobalt iya kwehla ndaweni ithile.
Utshintsho luza kwenzeka kwiminyaka emi-5 ukuya kweli-10 ngaphambilana, kwaye iinkampani ezinkulu zemigodi azithandi ukwenza utyalo-mali lwexesha elide kwi-cobalt. Nangona kunjalo, kuba sibona isiphelo, sifuna ukuba abasebenzi bemigodi basekuhlaleni bashiye indawo yokusebenza ekhuselekileyo kunangaphambili.
Kwaye iibhetri zezithuthi zombane ezikwimarike ngoku nazo kufuneka ziphinde zisetyenziswe emva kokuba zigqibile imisebenzi yazo emva kweminyaka eli-10 ukuya kwengama-20, nto leyo eyasekwa yiRedwood yiSumitomo Metals kunye negosa eliyintloko letekhnoloji likaTesla uJB Strobel. -Izixhobo kunye nezinye sele ziqalise itekhnoloji yokubuyisela i-cobalt kwaye ziza kuyisebenzisa kwakhona nezinye izixhobo.
Nokuba imfuno yezixhobo ezithile iyanda okwethutyana kwinkqubo yophuhliso lwezithuthi zombane, siya kujongana nokuzinza kunye namalungelo oluntu abasebenzi ngokuqinileyo njenge-cobalt, kwaye asiyi kuyithenga ingqumbo yeKobolts ecashe emqolombeni. Ndingathanda ukuqukumbela eli bali ngethemba lokuba luluntu.