The Recycling of Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries: Crucial Flotation for the Separation of Cathode and Anode Materials

Abstract

The recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has attracted great attention, mainly because of its significant impact on resource recycling and environmental protection. Currently, the processes involved in recovering valuable metals from spent LIBs have shown remarkable progress, but little attention has been paid to the effective separation of spent cathode and anode materials. Significantly, it not only can reduce the difficulty in the subsequent processing of spent cathode materials, but also contribute to the recovery of graphite. Considering the difference in their chemical properties on the surface, flotation is an effective method to separate materials, owing to its low-cost and eco-friendly characteristics. In this paper, the chemical principles of flotation separation for spent cathodes and materials from spent LIBs is summarized first. Then, the research progress in flotation separation of various spent cathode materials (LiCoO2, LiNixCoyMnzO2, and LiFePO4) and graphite is summarized. Given this, the work is expected to offer the significant reviews and insights about the flotation separation for high-value recycling of spent LIBs.

Summary of Pretreatment of Waste Lithium-Ion Batteries and Recycling of Valuable Metal Materials: A Review

“…Mechanical crushing is a prevalent and effective method in industrial production. Finally, flotation technology is used to remove some impurities from the material [11]. The second step is the material-recovery phase.…”

Preparation and Performance of Regenerated Al2O3-Coated Cathode Material LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 from Spent Power Lithium-Ion Batteries

“…With the gradual rise of new energy vehicles, the installed capacity of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is increasing exponentially, and new LIBs will be scrapped after 5–8 years of use. Noteworthily, 355,000 tons of LIBs were decommissioned in 2019, and it is expected that the retirement of LIBs will reach 800,000 tons by 2025 [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. The composition of LIBs is complex, and it is necessary to regenerate them resourcefully.…”