Environmental and economic assessment of structural repair technologies for spent lithium-ion battery cathode materials

Jiao Lin; Jiawei Wu; Ersha Fan; Xiaodong Zhang; Renjie Chen; Feng Wu; Li Li

doi:10.1007/s12613-022-2430-7

Volume 29 Issue 5

Apr. 2022

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials > 2022 > 29(5): 942-952

Jiao Lin, Jiawei Wu, Ersha Fan, Xiaodong Zhang, Renjie Chen, Feng Wu, and Li Li, Environmental and economic assessment of structural repair technologies for spent lithium-ion battery cathode materials, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 29(2022), No. 5, pp. 942-952. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-022-2430-7

Cite this article as:

Jiao Lin, Jiawei Wu, Ersha Fan, Xiaodong Zhang, Renjie Chen, Feng Wu, and Li Li, Environmental and economic assessment of structural repair technologies for spent lithium-ion battery cathode materials, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 29(2022), No. 5, pp. 942-952. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-022-2430-7

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Research Article

Environmental and economic assessment of structural repair technologies for spent lithium-ion battery cathode materials

+ Author Affiliations

Corresponding authors:
Renjie Chen E-mail: chenrj@bit.edu.cn

Li Li E-mail: lily863@bit.edu.cn
Received: 10 January 2021; Revised: 27 January 2022; Accepted: 28 January 2022; Available online: 29 January 2022

Abstract

Abstract

The existing recycling and regeneration technologies have problems, such as poor regeneration effect and low added value of products for lithium (Li)-ion battery cathode materials with a low state of health. In this work, a targeted Li replenishment repair technology is proposed to improve the discharge-specific capacity and cycling stability of the repaired LiCoO₂ cathode materials. Compared with the spent cathode material with >50% Li deficiency, the Li/Co molar ratio of the regenerated LiCoO₂ cathode is >0.9, which completely removes the Co₃O₄ impurity phase formed by the decomposition of Li_xCoO₂ in the failed cathode material after repair. The repaired LiCoO₂ cathode materials exhibit better cycling stability, lower electrochemical impedance, and faster Li⁺ diffusion than the commercial materials at both 1 and 10 C. Meanwhile, Li_1.05CoO₂ cathodes have higher Li replenishment efficiency and cycling stability. The energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of LiCoO₂ cathodes produced by this repair method are significantly reduced compared to those using pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical recycling processes.
- spent lithium-ion batteries;
- structural repair;
- solid-phase sintering process;
- environmental and economic assessment

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