Green strategy for recovering cathode materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries using grape pomace

Abstract

The extraction of critical metals from End-of-life lithium-ion batteries (EOL LIBs) have garnered particular attention for efficient resource recycling. This study provides a method for recycling EOL LIBs using grape pomace (GP) as a reducing agent. The efficacy of this method is demonstrated using LiNixCoyMnzO2 (NCM) cathode material. Kinetic studies suggest that the leaching process of the cathode material in H2SO4 + GP is governed by internal diffusion. The leachate efficiencies of lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel, surpassed 98 % through manipulation of the thermodynamic conditions. The NCM523 cathode materials are successfully regenerated from the leachate by removing impurities, evaporating and crystallizing, dry ball milling at room temperature and oxidative calcination. Electrochemical data of the regenerated layered oxide phase also showed that the leachate could be upgraded to next-generation materials. This study presents a sustainable with industrial applicability for the large-scale recycling of EOL LIBs.