With the rapid development of the new energy industry, the demand for recycling waste batteries (such as lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid batteries) has surged. Shredder cutters are core equipment in the recycling process—they break down battery casings, electrode assemblies, and other components into sortable pieces, and their efficiency and service life directly determine the productivity of recycling lines. Among the core components of shredders, carbide tools have become the first choice for handling the complex working conditions of battery shredding due to their high hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance: compared to ordinary steel blades, they can withstand the impact of battery metal casings, friction from electrode materials, extend service life by 5-10 times, and reduce downtime for tool replacement. This article provides a complete guide to carbide tools for shredders from four dimensions: characteristics of battery shredding conditions, advantages of carbide tools, selection methods, and maintenance tips, helping you improve recycling efficiency and reduce consumable costs.
1. First, Understand the Working Conditions: Special Requirements for Shredder Cutters in Battery Recycling
The working conditions of battery recycling shredding are far more complex than those for ordinary materials (such as plastic or wood). These unique characteristics directly require tools to have "wear resistance, impact resistance, and corrosion resistance"—exactly where carbide excels.
1.1 Complexity of Shredded Materials: Mixed Materials, Coexisting Wear and Impact
Waste batteries have diverse structures, and during shredding, tools must handle materials of varying hardness and forms, posing multiple challenges to tool performance:
- Lithium-ion batteries: Include aluminum alloy/stainless steel casings (hardness HB 80-150), copper/aluminum electrode foils (thin and tough), and cathode materials (hard particles containing cobalt/nickel). During shredding, casings cause impact, electrode foils tend to wrap around tools, and cathode particles continuously abrade the cutting edge.
- Lead-acid batteries: Include lead alloy plates (hardness HB 50-80, but dense and impactful), plastic casings, and residual sulfuric acid electrolyte. Impact from lead plates can easily chip tool edges, and residual electrolyte may corrode tools.
- Mixed shredding scenarios: Some recycling lines process multiple battery types simultaneously. Tools must withstand "hard impact (metal casings) + high friction (electrode particles) + mild corrosion (electrolyte)"—ordinary steel blades (e.g., Cr12MoV) often wear out or chip within 1-2 weeks.
1.2 Requirements for Shredding Efficiency: Tools Must Balance "Sharpness" and "Durability"
Battery recycling lines typically require continuous operation (10-12 hours daily) with shredding capacities of 500-1000kg per hour, placing dual demands on tool design and material:
- Cutting edges must be sharp enough to quickly cut through battery casings and electrode foils, preventing material blockages.
- Tool bodies must be wear-resistant enough to withstand long-term high-frequency friction, reducing mid-operation replacements (each replacement requires 1-2 hours of downtime, directly affecting productivity).
2. Core Advantages: Why Carbide Tools Are Essential for Battery Recycling Shredders?
In battery shredding scenarios, carbide tools offer "comprehensive and irreplaceable" advantages over ordinary steel blades and ceramic blades, as shown in the table below:
| Tool Type | Hardness (HRA) | Wear Resistance (Relative Value) | Impact Toughness (J/cm²) | Resistance to Electrolyte Corrosion | Service Life in Battery Shredding (Reference) | Application Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbide tools (WC-Co) | 88-92 | 100 (baseline) | 25-35 | Good (cobalt-based)/Excellent (nickel-based) | 200-500 hours | No significant limitations; suitable for all battery types |
| Ordinary steel blades (Cr12MoV) | 60-65 | 10-15 | 40-50 | Poor (easily corroded by electrolyte) | 20-50 hours | Only suitable for low-load plastic casing shredding; cannot handle metal electrodes |
| Ceramic blades (alumina) | 85-88 | 60-70 | 5-8 | Excellent | 80-120 hours | High brittleness; easily chipped by lead-acid battery plate impact |
Data shows that carbide tools achieve the best balance of "wear resistance-impact toughness-corrosion resistance": they are over 10 times more wear-resistant than steel blades and more impact-resistant than ceramic blades, perfectly adapting to complex battery shredding conditions. For example, after switching to WC-Co carbide tools, a lithium-ion battery recycling line extended tool life from 30 hours to 300 hours, reduced downtime from 8 times/month to 1 time/month, and increased recycling capacity by 20%.
3. Carbide Tool Selection: 3 Key Dimensions to Match Different Battery Types
Not all carbide tools are suitable for battery shredding. Selection must be precise based on the type of battery (lithium-ion/lead-acid), desired shred size, and three dimensions: "grade, structure, and edge design."
1. Step 1: Choose Carbide Grade by Battery Type—Core Is Balancing "Wear Resistance" and "Toughness"
Different batteries require different carbide grades with varying cobalt content (affecting toughness) and grain size (affecting hardness):
| Battery Type to Shred | Core Requirements | Recommended Carbide Grade | Grade Characteristics | Expected Service Life (Continuous Shredding) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion batteries | Resistance to electrode particle friction (wear resistance first), withstanding casing impact | YG6, YG8 (fine-grained) | 6%-8% cobalt content; hardness HRA 89-91; high wear resistance, moderate toughness | 300-500 hours |
| Lead-acid batteries | Resistance to lead plate impact (toughness first), electrolyte corrosion resistance | YG12, WC-Ni (medium-grained) | 12% cobalt content (or nickel binder); impact toughness ≥30J/cm²; improved corrosion resistance | 200-400 hours |
| Mixed batteries | Balanced wear resistance, impact resistance, and corrosion resistance | YG10X (ultra-fine-grained) | 10% cobalt content; ultra-fine grains enhance hardness and toughness; suitable for multi-material shredding | 250-450 hours |
Selection Example: A recycling line specializing in ternary lithium batteries, with cathode materials containing large amounts of hard cobalt lithium oxide particles, uses YG6 fine-grained carbide tools. The cutting edge wears slowly and remains sharp after 400 hours of continuous shredding, requiring no replacement. Choosing YG12 (higher toughness but slightly lower wear resistance) would reduce service life to around 250 hours.
2. Step 2: Choose Tool Structure by Shred Size—Affects Efficiency and Material Adaptability
Different shred size requirements (e.g., fine shredding below 5mm, coarse shredding above 20mm) require matching carbide tools with different structures. Common structures and their suitable scenarios are as follows:
| Tool Structure Type | Structural Characteristics | Suitable Shred Size | Advantages | Suitable Battery Types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toothed blades | 锯齿状边缘（齿距5-10mm），刃口锋利 | 10-30mm (coarse shredding) | Easy to cut into battery casings; reduces material wrapping | Coarse shredding of lithium-ion/lead-acid batteries (separating casings from internal components) |
| Flat-edge blades | Straight cutting edge (edge thickness 1-2mm) | 5-15mm (medium-fine shredding) | Smooth cutting; reduces over-shredding | Medium-fine shredding of lithium-ion electrode assemblies (facilitating subsequent metal sorting) |
| Combined cutterhead | Alternating toothed and flat-edge carbide blades on the cutterhead | 5-30mm (adjustable) | Handles both coarse and medium shredding; no need to replace tools | Mixed battery recycling lines (requiring flexible size adjustment) |
3. Step 3: Pay Attention to Tool Installation and Fixing—Avoid Premature Wear from Improper Installation
Even with the right grade and structure, improper installation can cause uneven tool stress and premature wear. Common reasonable installation designs include:
- Bolt fixing + positioning pins: Ensure coaxiality between the blade and cutterhead (deviation ≤0.1mm) using positioning pins, preventing blade wobble during rotation and localized wear.
- Welding + reinforced backplate: For large cutterheads (diameter ≥500mm), carbide blades are fixed with silver-copper brazing, and a steel backplate is added to enhance support, reducing blade deformation under impact.
- Quick-change structure: For high-wear edge areas, design "detachable blades"—only the blade itself needs replacement after wear, not the entire cutterhead, reducing consumable costs.
4. Use and Maintenance of Carbide Tools: 3 Tips to Extend Life and Reduce Costs
While carbide tools are durable, proper use and maintenance can extend their life by up to 30%, avoiding "abnormal wear" from improper operation.
1. Before Startup: Inspect and Adjust to Avoid "Faulty Operation"
- Check tool installation: Ensure bolts are tight, positioning pins are not misaligned, and blade edges are free of chips (small chips should be repaired with a diamond grinding wheel first to prevent wear expansion).
- Adjust shredding gap: Set a reasonable gap between moving and fixed blades based on battery type (0.5-1mm for lithium-ion batteries, 1-1.5mm for lead-acid batteries). Too small a gap increases friction; too large a gap causes incomplete shredding and blockages.
- Clean material channels: Ensure no residual materials (e.g., metal blocks from previous shredding) in the shredding chamber to avoid sudden impact on tools during startup.
2. During Operation: Control Parameters to Avoid Overloading
- Stabilize feeding speed: Feed at the tool’s rated capacity (e.g., 500kg/hour) to avoid sudden overloads (overloading concentrates stress on edges, accelerating wear or chipping).
- Monitor tool temperature: Friction during battery shredding generates heat. If tool temperature exceeds 200°C (detectable with an infrared thermometer), pause feeding or reduce speed to prevent carbide softening (cobalt-based carbide softens above 800°C, but long-term exposure to temperatures above 200°C accelerates edge oxidation).
- Clear缠绕物 promptly: Lithium-ion battery electrode foils tend to wrap around tools. Stop and clear wraps immediately to avoid edge deformation from挤压.
3. After Wear: Repair Correctly Instead of Replacing Directly
Worn carbide tools do not need immediate replacement—professional repair allows 2-3 reuses:
- Edge grinding: When edge wear ≤0.5mm, grind the edge with a diamond砂轮 (grain size 120-200 mesh) to restore sharpness (control feed rate ≤0.02mm/pass to avoid edge cracking from overheating).
- Welding repair: For small chips (depth ≤1mm), use carbide welding technology (e.g., laser cladding) to fill gaps, then grind to shape. Repair cost is only 1/3 of a new tool.
- Replacement criteria: Replace tools when blade thickness is worn by over 30% of the original (e.g., from 5mm to below 3.5mm) or when large-area chipping occurs to avoid reducing shredding efficiency.
5. Clarifying Common Misconceptions: 3 Wrong Views About Carbide Tools
Misconception 1: "The harder the carbide tool, the better—choosing the highest hardness grade is always correct."
Fact: Hardness and toughness are "trade-offs"—higher hardness means lower toughness. For example, when shredding lead-acid batteries, choosing YG3 (3% cobalt content) with extremely high hardness but low toughness results in frequent edge chipping from lead plate impact, leading to shorter life than YG12 (moderate toughness). The correct approach is to balance hardness and toughness based on battery type, not pursue single high hardness.
Misconception 2: "Tools only need to be fixed securely; gap size doesn’t matter."
Fact: Excessively large or small gaps shorten tool life—too small a gap causes "dry friction" between moving and fixed blades, accelerating edge wear by 30%; too large a gap causes materials to repeatedly impact tools, leading to uneven stress and "overload wear." For example, a recycling line with a gap set to 2mm (vs. the recommended 0.5-1mm for lithium-ion batteries) reduced tool life from 350 hours to 200 hours.
Misconception 3: "Worn carbide tools can only be scrapped—repair is not cost-effective."
Fact: Reasonable repair costs far less than replacement—for YG8 tools, a new blade costs ~¥200, while repair (grinding + welding) costs only ¥50, with 70%-80% of the new tool’s life. A medium-sized recycling plant reduced monthly tool procurement costs from ¥10,000 to ¥4,000 through repairs, saving ¥72,000 annually.
Conclusion: Carbide Tools Are the "Efficiency Core" of Battery Recycling Shredders
In battery recycling shredding, carbide tools are not "ordinary consumables" but key components determining recycling line capacity and costs. Selecting the right grade and structure, and maintaining them properly, maximizes tool life and reduces downtime losses. For professionals in the tungsten carbide industry, tool recommendations should be based on understanding the customer’s "battery type (lithium-ion/lead-acid), shred size, and daily capacity" to match the appropriate carbide solution, rather than simply promoting high-margin products.
If your recycling line faces issues like "short tool life, low shredding efficiency, or frequent replacements," or needs customized carbide tools for specific batteries, feel free to communicate. We can provide tool sample testing and selection advice based on your equipment parameters and working conditions.
