Cathode Active Material Recycling from Spent Lithium Batteries: A Green (Circular) Approach Based on Deep Eutectic Solvents. Issue 2 (23rd December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Morina, Riccardo; Callegari, Daniele; Merli, Daniele; Alberti, Giancarla; Mustarelli, Piercarlo; Quartarone, Eliana
• Is Part Of: ChemSusChem. Volume 15:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-12-23
• Subjects: batteries -- deep eutectic solvents -- lithium -- recycling -- soft metallurgy; Green chemistry -- Periodicals; Sustainable engineering -- Periodicals; Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chemical engineering -- Periodicals; 660
• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202102080
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1864-5631

Abstract

Abstract: The transition to a circular economy vision must handle the increasing request of metals required to satisfy the battery industry; this can be obtained by recycling and feeding back secondary raw materials recovered through proper waste management. Here, a novel and green proof‐of‐concept was developed, based on deep eutectic solvents (DESs) to fully and easily recover valuable metals from various cathode active materials, including LiMn2 O4, LiNi0.5 Mn1.5 O4, and LiNi0.8 Co0.2 O2 . DES composed of choline chloride and lactic acid could leach Li, Mn, Co, and Ni, achieving efficiency of 100 % under much milder conditions with respect to the previous literature. For the first time, to our best knowledge, a two‐step approach was reported in the case of LiNi0.8 Co0.2 O2 for selective recovery of Li, Co, and Ni with high yield and purity. Furthermore, other cathode components, namely aluminum current collector and binder, were found to be not dissolved by the proposed DES, thus making a simple separation from the active material possible. Finally, this strategy was designed to easily regenerate and reuse the leaching solvents for more than one extraction, thus further boosting process sustainability. Abstract : Metal recycling : A deep eutectic solvent (DES) consisting of choline chloride and lactic acid extracts Li, Mn, Ni, and Co from cathodes in short time and at low temperature. For LiNi0.8 Co0.2 O2, the metals are recovered as valuable precursors by using only DES and oxalic acid as chemicals. The leaching DES is regenerated and employed for multiple extractions.