Upcycling of Spent Lithium Cobalt Oxide Cathodes from Discarded Lithium-Ion Batteries as Solid Lubricant Additive

Abstract

This work provides an alternative solution to the challenge of battery recycling via the upcycling of spent lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) as a new promising solid lubricant additive. An advanced solid lubricant mixture of graphene, Aremco binder, and recycled LCO was formulated into a spray with the use of excess volatile organic solvent. Numerous flat steel disks were spray-coated with the new lubricant formulation and naturally dried followed by curing at 180 °C. When tested on a ball-on-disk up to 230 m in distance, the composite new solid lubricant reduced the coefficient of friction (COF) by 85% between two steel surfaces compared to unlubricated surfaces under a constant 1 GPa Hertzian pressure in an ambient environment. The tribofilm composition, particle size, and type of contact are identified as important parameters in the improvement of the COF. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study its morphology, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to analyze the composition of pristine and tested tribofilms. Upcycled spent low value LCO powder was used as a lubricant additive in tribology for the first time with exceptional lubricious properties.

Challenges to Future Development of Spent Lithium Ion Batteries Recovery from Environmental and Technological Perspectives

“…Therefore, the cathode materials from obsolete LIBs were directly reused as a catalyst to degrade organic contaminants by a simple washing–recycling process (SI Figure S6). It was found that Mn (III) intermediate in spent battery played an important role in catalytic reaction. − The result showed that Rhodamine B (Rh B) degradation rate increased from 43.7% to 98.2% with only recycled MnO 2 as the catalyst, and the catalytic activity of recycled MnO 2 was enhanced for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for contaminant degradation. , In addition, Vihang P. et al provided an alternative solution to spent LiCoO 2 (LCO) battery recovery by upcycling cathode materials as a solid lubricant additive (SI Figure S6). The binder including carbon and nitrogen elements was identified as a bridge-like structure between particles, and uniform distribution of LCO across the coating was apparent from elemental mapping of cobalt.…”

Understanding the Behaviors of λ-MnO2 in Electrochemical Lithium Recovery: Key Limiting Factors and a Route to the Enhanced Performance

“…Meanwhile, these brine lakes are located at limited areas of South America, and it is thereby difficult to secure the lithium supply with a certain level of independence from diverse external (e.g., political) factors. For this reason, needs for recycling lithium from spent batteries and lithium recovery from alternative sources have arisen. − There have been large efforts to develop technologies for lithium recovery (into the form of concentrated lithium compounds, usually lithium carbonate) from waters containing a low concentration of Li + , with an ultimate goal of extracting lithium from seawater; the overall amount of lithium in seawater is approximately 250 billion tons, but its concentration is only 0.17 mg/L. , …”

Ammonia Reduction System for the Diversity of Cathode Processing of Li-Ion Batteries

“…20 With proper treatments, the obtained cathode can be also processed as a solid lubricant additive which reduces the coefficient of friction by 85%. 21 Furthermore, the spent cathode can be directly processed to re-generate new cathode by lots of methods including wet leaching, 22 suspension electrolysis, 23 chlorination 24 /sulfation roasting, 25 and carbothermal reduction. 26 In addition, the metal composition of the cathode is much simple which can be classified into lithium and transition metals.…”

“…For example, the cathode in spent LIBs can be directly employed as the catalyst for organics degradation . With proper treatments, the obtained cathode can be also processed as a solid lubricant additive which reduces the coefficient of friction by 85% . Furthermore, the spent cathode can be directly processed to re-generate new cathode by lots of methods including wet leaching, suspension electrolysis, chlorination/sulfation roasting, and carbothermal reduction .…”