Reaction-passivation mechanism driven materials separation for recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries

Development of effective recycling strategies for cathode materials in spent lithium-ion batteries are highly desirable but remain significant challenges, among which facile separation of Al foil and active material layer of cathode makes up the first important step. Here, we propose a reaction-passivation driven mechanism for facile separation of Al foil and active material layer. Experimentally, >99.9% separation efficiency for Al foil and LiNi_0.55Co_0.15Mn_0.3O₂ layer is realized for a 102 Ah spent cell within 5 mins, and ultrathin, dense aluminum-phytic acid complex layer is in-situ formed on Al foil immediately after its contact with phytic acid, which suppresses continuous Al corrosion. Besides, the dissolution of transitional metal from LiNi_0.55Co_0.15Mn_0.3O₂ is negligible and good structural integrity of LiNi_0.55Co_0.15Mn_0.3O₂ is well-maintained during the processing. This work demonstrates a feasible approach for Al foil-active material layer separation of cathode and can promote the green and energy-saving battery recycling towards practical applications.