Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of Future Patented Li-Ion Batteries

Li-ion batteries play a crucial role in electric vehicles and energy stor-age, making comprehensive environmental impact assessments essential. How-ever, existing Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) primarily focus on established LIB technologies, often overlooking rapid advancements in emerging designs and chemistries. This study addresses this gap by conducting a prospective LCA of future LIBs, using patent analysis and scientific literature to compile inven-tory data. The methodology follows a structured approach, including goal and scope definition, prospective inventory analysis, impact assessment using ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H), and results interpretation. The functional unit is defined as the production of 1 Wh of electricity through the battery. The study adopts a cradle-to-gate system boundary, covering raw material extraction, component production, and cell assembly for Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) 811 batteries. The results show that aluminium and copper sheet rolling processes consistently contribute significantly to the overall environmental impact. Among cathode materials, nickel sulphate exhibits the highest environmental burden. Notably, patented LIB ver-sions demonstrate lower environmental impacts across most categories compared to those reported in scientific literature (−10% on average). This research high-lights the effectiveness of patent analysis as a valuable tool for prospective LCA, particularly in identifying future trends in battery composition and performance.