Yaocai Bai

The rise of electric vehicles has significantly boosted the demand for lithium-ion batteries, highlighting the critical need for effective recycling methods to sustain this growth. Recycling endeavors primarily focus on extracting valuable materials from spent batteries and manufacturing scraps, thus reducing reliance on raw material extraction and lessening the environmental impact of new mining operations. Notably, battery manufacturing scraps, which include electrode scraps such as trimmings and rejected coatings, have emerged as pivotal recycling feedstocks. These materials, still pristine as they have not been incorporated into cells or exposed to electrolytes, present a unique opportunity for direct recycling. This presentation explores the recent advancements in the direct recycling of these electrode scraps through innovative solvent-based separation processes. These processes, conducted at low temperatures, are highly efficient and maintain the integrity of the electrode films while separating them from their metal current collectors without causing morphological damage or metal corrosion. Furthermore, the recovered electrode materials can be re-manufactured into new cathodes and anodes, showing electrochemical performances similar to those of fresh electrodes. The environmental and economic advantages of these solvent-based recovery methods will be discussed, demonstrating their role in fostering a secure, sustainable, and circular battery economy. This approach not only aligns with environmental sustainability goals but also ensures the practical reutilization of battery scraps, reducing the industry’s overall environmental footprint.