Spent Graphite from End-of-Life Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) as a Promising Nanoadditive to Boost Road Pavement...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Civil Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Growing global pollution crisis from discarded lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).
• Need for sustainable road construction materials and methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of spent graphite (SG) from end-of-life LIBs as an asphalt additive.
• To evaluate the performance enhancement of AP-5 asphalt cement with varying SG proportions (5, 10, 15 wt.%).

Main Methods:

• Characterization using elemental analysis (EA), TLC-FID, FT-IR, XRD, and SEM.
• Performance evaluation via penetration, softening point, viscosity, ductility, dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and multiple stress-creep recovery (MSCR) tests.
• Analysis of aged and unaged asphalt binder properties.

Main Results:

• SG addition altered binder composition (SARA analysis), shifting the colloidal system towards a sol-gel state.
• XRD indicated increased binder crystallinity, while SEM showed dose-dependent compatibility.
• DSR/MSCR/conventional tests revealed stiffer, more viscous asphalt with improved deformation resistance but reduced cracking resistance.

Conclusions:

• Spent graphite from LIBs can be effectively utilized as an asphalt additive.
• This application offers a promising solution for improving paving performance and mitigating LIB pollution.