Solvent-Based Electrode Recovery for Direct Recycling of Li-Ion Batteries

Abstract

The surging demand for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicles and consumer electronics drives the enormous expansion of cell manufacturing globally, resulting in a significant amount of manufacturing scraps and vast stockpiles of spent LIBs in near future. Recycling those waste LIBs and reintegrating the recovered materials into the battery supply chain are becoming critical to build a sustainable battery ecosystem. Cathode active materials (e.g., LiCoO2, NCA, NMC) and anode active materials (e.g., graphite) are tightly adhered to metal current collectors (Al and Cu) through organic binders (e.g., PVDF). Separation of those electrode materials from metal foils is challenging yet an enabling step for the direct recycling of LIBs. In this talk, a simple yet efficient solvent-based recovery process for delaminating electrode films from metal foils will be presented. Because of the absence of harsh chemicals, the recovered electrode films and metal foils are battery grade and free of damage in terms of physical and chemical properties. Additionally, reintroducing the recovered electrode materials into a new loop of cell manufacturing will be discussed. This environmentally friendly and cost-effective separation technique not only presents a closed-loop recycling approach but also greatly advances battery recycling into a new paradigm.