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Recycling of Spent LiFePO4 Batteries Using Ultrasonic-Assisted Reducing Leaching
Yi-Fan Gao1, Rong-Liang Zhang1, Jia-Xiang Liu1
1School of Metallurgy Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhangjiagang 215600, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Ultrasonic-assisted reducing leaching significantly improves the recovery of lithium and iron from spent lithium iron phosphate batteries. This eco-friendly method enhances metal leaching rates compared to conventional techniques, aiding resource recycling.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Electric vehicles utilize numerous lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), generating substantial solid waste.
- Improper disposal of LIB waste leads to environmental pollution and resource wastage.
- Recycling valuable metals from LIBs is crucial for environmental protection and resource conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of ultrasonic-assisted reducing leaching for recycling lithium (Li) and iron (Fe) from spent lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
- To compare the leaching efficiency of ultrasonic-assisted methods with conventional leaching.
- To analyze the kinetics and mechanism of the ultrasonic-assisted leaching process.
Main Methods:
- Spent LFP batteries were treated using ultrasonic-assisted reducing leaching with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as the leaching agent and glucose (C6H12O6) as the reducing agent.
- Key parameters optimized include acid and glucose concentrations, liquid-solid ratio, temperature, time, and ultrasonic power.
- Experimental results were compared with conventional leaching under identical conditions. Kinetics analysis was performed.
Main Results:
- Optimal leaching rates of 96.53% for Li and 96.8% for Fe were achieved under specific conditions (2 mol/L H2SO4, 2 mol/L glucose, 15 mL/g ratio, 70 °C, 60 min, 100 W ultrasonic power).
- Ultrasonic-assisted leaching increased Li and Fe leaching rates by 10.84% and 12.33%, respectively, compared to conventional leaching.
- Kinetics analysis revealed activation energies of 10.84 kJ/mol for Li and 16.24 kJ/mol for Fe, indicating diffusion-controlled leaching.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonic-assisted reducing leaching is a highly effective method for recovering Li and Fe from spent LFP batteries.
- The enhanced leaching efficiency under ultrasonic conditions offers a promising approach for sustainable battery recycling.
- The process is diffusion-controlled, providing insights for further optimization and scale-up.
Keywords:
battery recyclingcathode materialreducing leachingspent lithium iron phosphate batteryultrasonic-assisted leachingMore Related Videos
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