(Invited) Enabling Direct Recycling of Lithium-ion Batteries via Solvent-based Electrode Recovery

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are revolutionizing electric vehicles as they have done the same to portable electronics. Production of LIBs are ramping up dramatically with the widely emerging of gigafactories globally, so are the manufacturing scraps and end-of-life batteries, thereby urging the development of cost-effective and environmentally sustainable recycling technologies to manage those waste. Currently, the recycling of LIBs is still at early stage, with many technical constraints to overcome. Direct recovery of electrode materials (e.g., LiCoO2, NCA, NMC, graphite) from manufacturing scraps as well as spent cells with useful morphology and comparable electrochemical performance could substantially reduce the battery costs and mitigate both energy and environmental impacts. However, electrode materials are tightly bonded to their current collectors by organic binders like PVDF, making them hard to be separated. In this context, we aim to advance direct recycling of LIBs from different aspects through solvent-based recovery processes. The solvent-based separation processes developed here have enabled low-temperature and highly efficient recovery of electrode materials without any morphological damages or introduction of impurities. The recovered electrode materials from manufacturing scraps are reprocessed as new electrode with similar electrochemical performance for a new loop of battery manufacturing. Furthermore, metal foils like copper and aluminum are fully recovered without any corrosion, greatly expanding the recycling revenues. We believe that our solvent-based electrode recovery processes pave the way for direct recycling of LIBs.