A green process for exfoliating electrode materials and simultaneously extracting electrolyte from spent lithium-ion...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Growing demand for electric vehicles necessitates efficient lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling.
• Key challenges include separating electrode materials from foils and recovering hazardous electrolytes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop an environmentally benign process for LIB recycling.
• Recover electrode materials and hazardous electrolyte components effectively.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel aqueous peeling agent, exfoliating and extracting solution (AEES).
• Weakened interlocking and Coulomb forces for cathode material exfoliation from foils.
• Employed distillation for electrolyte recovery and filtration for LiPF6 precipitation.

Main Results:

• Achieved high recovery efficiencies: 95.6% for electrolyte, 99.0% for Al foil, 100% for Cu foil, and near 100% for electrode materials.
• Reclaimed electrode materials in flaky form, minimizing impurity infiltration.
• Successfully recovered ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, and LiPF6.

Conclusions:

• The developed AEES process offers an environmentally friendly and efficient solution for LIB recycling.
• Avoids strong acids/alkalis, making it suitable for industrial application.
• Demonstrates high recovery rates for valuable battery components.