Flash Recycling of Graphite Anodes

Abstract

The ever‐increasing production of commercial lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) will result in a staggering accumulation of waste when they reach their end of life. A closed‐loop solution, with effective recycling of spent LIBs, will lessen both the environmental impacts and economic cost of their use. Presently, <5% of spent LIBs are recycled and the regeneration of graphite anodes has, unfortunately, been mostly overlooked despite the considerable cost of battery‐grade graphite. Here, an ultrafast flash recycling method to regenerate the graphite anode is developed and valuable battery metal resources are recovered. Selective Joule heating is applied for only seconds to efficiently decompose the resistive impurities. The generated inorganic salts, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, can be easily recollected from the flashed anode waste using diluted acid, specifically 0.1 m HCl. The flash‐recycled anode preserves the graphite structure and is coated with a solid‐electrolyte‐interphase‐derived carbon shell, contributing to high initial specific capacity, superior rate performance, and cycling stability, when compared to anode materials recycled using a high‐temperature‐calcination method. Life‐cycle‐analysis relative to current graphite production and recycling methods indicate that flash recycling can significantly reduce the total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission while turning anode recycling into an economically advantageous process.

Battery metal recycling by flash Joule heating

“…for 100 tons day −1 per factory (65), and that requires even a higher temperature (>3000 K) and a larger energy density (~3.6 kJ g −1 ) than the LIB recycling described here. The graphitic solid residue from the acid bath can be further used for recycled anodes as we demonstrated previously (66), thereby increasing the economic viability of this FJH approach.…”

Heavy metal removal from coal fly ash for low carbon footprint cement

“…In addition to the functional materials synthesis capability [34][35][36] , the FJH process has been demonstrated to be an efficient method for sustainable management of carbon-rich wastes, such as consumer plastic 37,38 , rubber 39 , end-of-life vehicle waste 40 , and asphaltenes 41 . With the ultrahigh temperature reaching ≥3000 °C and ultrafast process lasting ≤1 s, the FJH method enables the evaporative separation of precious metals from electronic wastes for urban mining 42 , the activation of industrial wastes for high-yield rare earth elements recovery 43 , the recycling of photovoltaic silicon waste 44 , and recovery of lithium-ion batteries graphite anodes [45][46][47] and cathodes 48 .…”

Rejuvenation of aged graphite anodes from spent lithium-ion batteries via a facile surface treatment strategy

“…Graphite anodes, among various LIB components, play a crucial role due to their widespread use. 5 However, the lower cost of graphite compared to cathode materials such as LiCoO 2 and NCM has resulted in its recycling often being overlooked. [6][7][8][9] Certain studies have attempted to find alternative uses for these spent graphite components, such as acting as catalysts in waste water treatment, 10 and fuel cells.…”

“…11 Yet, with the ongoing surge in spent LIBs, the need for developing straightforward, cost-effective, and easily implementable graphite anode recycling methods has intensified, especially considering their lower intrinsic value. 5,12,13 Understanding the degradation of graphite anodes in spent LIBs is crucial for enhancing their recycling efficiency. The primary cause of degradation is the formation of a thick interfacial layer on the anode's surface, [14][15][16][17] which results from the electrolyte's decomposition.…”

“…11 Yet, with the ongoing surge in spent LIBs, the need for developing straightforward, cost-effective, and easily implementable graphite anode recycling methods has intensified, especially considering their lower intrinsic value. 5,12,13…”