Green process for extracting lithium from spent lithium-ion battery cathode

초록

This study investigated a method for environmentally friendly lithium recovery from spent battery cathodes by inducing mechanochemical reactions, aiming to address the drawbacks of pyro and hydrometallurgy processes without requiring high temperatures or acidic solutions. Initially, commercial spent batteries were discharged in NaCl solution then disassembled to obtain the cathode. Mechanochemical reactions were induced in the cathode using ball milling to reduce the transition metal components [1]. Subsequently, lithium was successfully recovered by filtering the output material through water after it underwent carbonate reactions. The surface structure of the obtained lithium carbonate was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, while its physicochemical structure was examined using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Additionally, the purity of the recovered samples was quantitatively analyzed using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. To evaluate the effectiveness of the recovered lithium carbonate, it was utilized in the lithiation process of the cathode material, which had been depleted of lithium. The cathode material underwent thermal treatment using both pristine or recycled lithium carbonate. After this treatment, the materials were subjected to calcination to achieve lithiation. The resulting powders were then processed into electrodes and assembled into coin cells for comprehensive electrochemical testing.