Theoretical-molar Fe3+ recovering lithium from spent LiFePO4 batteries: an acid-free, efficient, and selective process

Comprehensive review and comparison on pretreatment of spent lithium-ion battery

Pretreatment, the initial step in recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), efficiently separates cathode and anode materials to facilitate key element recovery. Despite brief introductions in existing research, a comprehensive evaluation and comparison of processing methods is lacking. This study reviews 346 references on LIBs recycling, analyzing pretreatment stages, treatment conditions, and method effects. Our analysis highlights insufficient attention to discharge voltage safety and environmental impact. Mechanical disassembly, while suitable for industrial production, overlooks electrolyte recovery and complicates LIBs separation. High temperature pyrolysis flotation offers efficient separation of mixed electrode materials, enhancing mineral recovery. We propose four primary pretreatment processes: discharge, electrolyte recovery, crushing and separation, and electrode material recovery, offering simplified, efficient, green, low-cost, and high-purity raw materials for subsequent recovery processes.

Comprehensive Technology for Recycling and Regenerating Materials from Spent Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery

The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery has been widely used in electric vehicles and energy storage for its good cyclicity, high level of safety, and low cost. The massive application of LFP battery generates a large number of spent batteries. Recycling and regenerating materials from spent LFP batteries has been of great concern because it can significantly recover valuable metals and protect the environment. This paper aims to critically assess the latest technical information available on the echelon utilization and recycling of spent LFP batteries. First, it focuses on the progress of disassembly, evaluation and detection, regrouping, and application in echelon utilization. Then, the recycling technologies, including pretreatment, direct repair, and material regeneration, of spent LFPs are summarized. Finally, the paper proposes some challenges in the echelon utilization and recycling of spent LFP batteries, and concludes with recommendations for an intelligent, refined, and clean LFP battery circulation system that are required to ensure the sustainable development of spent LFP battery recycling.

A perspective on the recovery mechanisms of spent lithium iron phosphate cathode materials in different oxidation environments

Oxidative extraction has become an economically viable option for recycling lithium (Li) from spent lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) batteries. In this study, the releases behaviour of Li from spent LiFePO₄ batteries under different oxidizing conditions was investigated with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) as the solid oxidant. We revealed that, due to the intervention of graphitic carbon, the generated species of Li in mechanochemical oxidation (NaClO:LiFePO₄ at a molar ratio of 2:1, 5 min, and 600 rpm) was lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃). The graphite layer provided a channel for the conversion of Li species released by mechanochemical oxidation. While in hydrometallurgical oxidation (NaClO:LiFePO₄ at a molar ratio of 2:1 and 12.5 min), the presence of hydrogen species led to the formation of lithium chloride (LiCl). Moreover, life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrated that for recycling 1.0 kg of spent LiFePO₄ batteries, mechanochemical and hydrometallurgical oxidation could reduce carbon footprints by 2.81 kg CO₂ eq and 2.88 kg CO₂ eq, respectively. Our results indicate that the oxidative environment determines the release pathway of Li from the spent LiFePO₄ cathode material, thereby regulating the product forms of Li and environmental impacts. This study can provide key technical guidance for Li recycling from spent LiFePO₄ batteries.

One-step selective separation and efficient recovery of valuable metals from mixed spent lithium batteries in the phosphoric acid system

The recovery of valuable elements in spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has attracted more and more attention. Efficient recovery of valuable elements from spent LIBs with lower consumption and shorter process is the target that people have been pursuing. In this study, the valuable metals (Ni, Co, Mn and Li) and FePO₄ products are simultaneously recovered from mixed spent LiNi_xCo_yMn_zO₂ and LiFePO₄ in one step under the optimized condition of 0.88 M H₃PO₄, a mass ratio of LFP/NCM of 2:1, a L/S ratio of 33:1 and 80 ℃ for 120 min without additional auxiliary reagents. Over 60 % of acid consumption is reduced and the process of adjusting pH is avoidable. The leaching efficiencies of the valuable elements reach up to 99.1 % for Ni, 98.9 % for Co, 99.6 % for Li and 97.3 % for Mn. Almost all of Fe is precipitated as FePO₄·2H₂O. By means of the empirical model, the research on leaching kinetics demonstrates that the leaching reaction is internal diffusion-controlled with the apparent activation energy of valuable metals less than 30 kJ/mol. Furthermore, the redox reaction mechanism between spent LiBs has been explored. And the intrinsic driving force in the phosphoric acid system is found out. This finding may provide an innovative and selective recycling method for valuable elements from mixed spent LIBs with high economic benefit and fewer environmental footprints.

Spent LiFePO4: An old but vigorous peroxymonosulfate activator for degradation of organic pollutants in water

Iron-based catalysts have been demonstrated to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to generate reactive radicals, which is however limited by their complex preparation process, high costs and inefficiency for practical applications. Herein we obtain spent LiFePO₄ (SLFP), with powerful catalytic capacity by a simple one-step treatment of the retired LiFePO₄ cathode material, for PMS activation to decontaminate organic pollutants. Lithium defects and oxygen vacancies in SLFP play critical roles for PMS utilization, further confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. SLFP materials rapidly adsorb PMS, and the surface PMS is activated by Fe(II) to generate radicals, with ^•OH playing a major role for the degradation of organics after multi-step reactions. The SLFP/PMS process is finally validated for ability to remove organic contaminants and potential environmental application.

A sodium salt-assisted roasting approach followed by leaching for recovering spent LiFePO4 batteries

Mild-temperature (<1000 °C) carbothermic reduction has been proven as an effective way to recover Li and transition metals by converting lithium transition metal oxides to transition metals/alloys and Li₂CO₃. However, LiFePO₄ cannot be reduced by carbon because of its thermodynamically stable olivine structure. Herein, LiFePO₄ is converted to Fe and lithium salts by carbon with the assistance of Na₂CO₃ that acts as an activating agent to break down the chemical bonds of LiFePO₄ and thereby enable the carbothermic reduction. Using Na₂CO₃ as the activating agent, LiFePO₄ was reduced to Fe, NaLi₂PO₄, and LiNa₅(PO₄)₂ which can be separated by magnetic separation with a Li recovery rate of 99.2%. Using NaOH as the activating agent, LiFePO₄ was oxidized to Fe₃O₄, NaLi₂PO₄ and LiNa₅(PO₄)₂ at 600 °C, and the roasted products can be separated by magnetic separation process with a Li recovery rate of 92.7%. Various sodium salts were tested to screen proper salts for the reduction process, and a 400-g scale roasting-separation process has been demonstrated. Overall, the salt-assisted roasting is a promising way to recycle spent LiFePO₄ batteries without using strong mineral acids and shows great potential for the industrial-scale implementation.