Progress in direct recycling of spent lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathodes

Juntian Fan; Huimin Luo; Tao Wang; Sheng Dai

doi:10.1016/j.ensm.2024.103813

Progress in direct recycling of spent lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathodes

Juntian Fan, Huimin Luo, Tao Wang, Sheng Dai

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

With the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in portable electronics and electric vehicles (EVs), the end-of-life (EOL) LIBs are projected to reach 1336 GWh by 2040 under the sustainable development scenario. Proper recycling is urgently needed to minimize the release of hazardous waste and reduce mining activities by reintroducing critical minerals into the supply chain. Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNi_xMn_yCo_zO₂, NMCs) cathodes have become dominant in the LIB market, especially with the increasing production of EVs, which are also the most valuable components in EOL LIBs. Unlike pyrometallurgical and/or hydrometallurgical methods, which convert spent NMCs into metals or metal compounds, direct recycling technologies aim to maximize the value of spent cathodes by restoring their degraded structure and composition. This review summarizes direct recycling methods for NMC cathodes published in the last decade and provides insights into the challenges and future development of direct recycling techniques.

Original language	English
Article number	103813
Journal	Energy Storage Materials
Volume	73
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2024.103813
State	Published - Nov 2024

Funding

This research was performed through the Re-Cell Center, which gratefully acknowledges support from the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the Vehicle Technologies Office. This manuscript has been authored in part by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
DOE Public Access Plan
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725

Keywords

Cathode
Direct recycling
Hydrothermal
Ionothermal
Lithium-ion battery
Structure healing

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.ensm.2024.103813

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title = "Progress in direct recycling of spent lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathodes",

abstract = "With the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in portable electronics and electric vehicles (EVs), the end-of-life (EOL) LIBs are projected to reach 1336 GWh by 2040 under the sustainable development scenario. Proper recycling is urgently needed to minimize the release of hazardous waste and reduce mining activities by reintroducing critical minerals into the supply chain. Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNixMnyCozO2, NMCs) cathodes have become dominant in the LIB market, especially with the increasing production of EVs, which are also the most valuable components in EOL LIBs. Unlike pyrometallurgical and/or hydrometallurgical methods, which convert spent NMCs into metals or metal compounds, direct recycling technologies aim to maximize the value of spent cathodes by restoring their degraded structure and composition. This review summarizes direct recycling methods for NMC cathodes published in the last decade and provides insights into the challenges and future development of direct recycling techniques.",

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AB - With the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in portable electronics and electric vehicles (EVs), the end-of-life (EOL) LIBs are projected to reach 1336 GWh by 2040 under the sustainable development scenario. Proper recycling is urgently needed to minimize the release of hazardous waste and reduce mining activities by reintroducing critical minerals into the supply chain. Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNixMnyCozO2, NMCs) cathodes have become dominant in the LIB market, especially with the increasing production of EVs, which are also the most valuable components in EOL LIBs. Unlike pyrometallurgical and/or hydrometallurgical methods, which convert spent NMCs into metals or metal compounds, direct recycling technologies aim to maximize the value of spent cathodes by restoring their degraded structure and composition. This review summarizes direct recycling methods for NMC cathodes published in the last decade and provides insights into the challenges and future development of direct recycling techniques.

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Progress in direct recycling of spent lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathodes

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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