Recycling

Materials Recovery From NMC Batteries With Water As The Sole Solvent ELECTROCHEMICAL CONCENTRATION

WATER PURIFICATION

An environmentally benign recycling approach is reported for large-capacity nickel manganese cobalt NMC) batteries through the electrochemical concentration of lithium on the anode and subsequent recovery using only water. Cycling of the NMC pouch cells indicates the potential for maximum lithium recovery at a 5C charging rate. The anodes extracted from discharged and disassembled cells were submerged in deionized water, resulting in lithium dissolution and graphite recovery from the copper foils. A maximum of 13 mg of lithium salts per 100 mg of the anode, copper current collector, and separator was obtained from NMC pouch cells cycled at a 4C charging rate. The lithium salts extracted from batteries cycled at low C-rates were richer in lithium carbonate, while the salts from batteries cycled at high C-rates were richer in lithium oxides and peroxides.

Source: Journal of Environ. Manage. 366 2024 121710 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121710

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