Progress and prospect on the recycling of spent lithium‐ion batteries: Ending is beginning

Abstract

The new energy vehicle market has grown rapidly due to the promotion of electric vehicles. Considering the average effective lives and calendar lives of power batteries, the world is gradually ushering in the retirement peak of spent lithium‐ion batteries (SLIBs). Without proper disposal, such a large number of SLIBs can be grievous waste of resources and serious pollution for the environment. This review provides a systematic overview of current solutions for SLIBs recycling, ranging from battery failure assessment, disassembly, and component separation to derived material recovery and reuse. In this review, several pretreatment methods for SLIBs are introduced. Subsequently, novel recovery and reuse processes are discussed to develop sustainable and efficient recycling processes. Finally, different scientific approaches are investigated, aiming at promoting the transformation of the SLIBs recycling industry to a circular economy. Based on this review, it is possible to improve existing processes or develop sustainable environmentally friendly and efficient alternative processes for recycling end‐of‐life batteries.

Fundamentals, status and challenges of direct recycling technologies for lithium ion batteries

“…However, the salt solution may corrode the battery casing, causing electrolysis leakage and chemical reactions, resulting in a large amount of waste liquid and HF waste gas. 49 And the residual power in spent batteries can be discharged using a discharger to maintain it within an appropriate voltage range. 50 Some automotive companies have already adopted alternating current/direct current (AC/DC) inverters, which facilitate the retransmission of the remaining power from battery cells back to the grid, effectively reducing energy wastage.…”

Recycling of Lithium Iron Phosphate Cathode Materials from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Mini-Review

“…The recovery of lithium can be enhanced by adopting better safe usage approaches, or an additional refining step can be included after the initial treatment of the cell for better recovery and subsequent separation. 57 The pyrometallurgical method can be adopted for metals like Ni, Co, and Cu, whereas it fails to recover metals like Li and aluminum which are lost in slag. 58 Thus, better and efficient ways of recovering metals through hydrometallurgical techniques were found to be more reliable where better recovery can be obtained at relatively lower temperatures.…”

“…The recovery of lithium can be enhanced by adopting better safe usage approaches, or an additional refining step can be included after the initial treatment of the cell for better recovery and subsequent separation . The pyrometallurgical method can be adopted for metals like Ni, Co, and Cu, whereas it fails to recover metals like Li and aluminum which are lost in slag .…”

High Electrochemical Performance Recycling Spent LiFePO4 Materials through the Preoxidation Regeneration Strategy

“…Due to their high specific energy, long cycle life, and low self-discharge rate, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage power grids, and other fields. – In particular, the yield of LIBs for EVs could go from 0.33 to 4 million metric tons from 2015 to 2040 . LiFePO 4 (LFP) accounts for one-third of the LIB market on account of its safety, environmental protection, and low cost. ,, With the rapid growth of the EV industry, millions of LFP batteries are nearing retirement to be disposed of properly. – In recent years, a lot of research has been done on recycling spent LFP (SLFP) batteries. Pyrometallurgy , and hydrometallurgy – are the most common methods for the recovery of spent LIB.…”