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Title: High Performance Cathode Recovery from Different Electric Vehicle Recycling Streams

Journal Article · · ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
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  1. Worcester Polytechnic Inst. (WPI), Worcester, MA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
  2. A123 Systems LLC, Waltham, MA (United States)
  3. Battery Resourcers Inc, Worcester, MA (United States)
  4. Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI (United States). Research and Innovation Center and Energy Storage and Materials Research
+ Show Author Affiliations

For environmental and sustainability reasons, spent Li-ion batteries must be recovered and recycled so that the full promise of an electrified future is realized. Li-ion battery recycling streams pose a serious challenge to all existing recycling technologies due to their unknown and diverse chemistry. In this work, four representative recycling streams were used to demonstrate the flexibility of the recycling process developed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to accommodate a variable feed and generate consistent quality cathode material, LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (NMC111). Ni1/3Mn1/3CO1/3(OH)2 precursors derived from four recycling streams were produced by a hydroxide co-precipitation method in a continuous stirred tank reactor. It took two days for the co-precipitation reaction to reach steady state. A possible evolution of the precursor particles up to the steady state was proposed. Both the precursors and cathodes from these four different recycling streams exhibit similar morphology, particle size distribution, and tap density. Moreover, these recovered cathode materials display similar electrochemical properties. Surprisingly these recovered NMC111s have better rate capability than a commercial NMC111 prepared from virgin materials. The different chemical compositions of the incoming recycling streams were shown to have little observed effect on the recovered precursor and resultant cathode material generated by the WPI-developed recycling process with advantages including no sorting, low temperature, and high quality recovered battery materials. Therefore, the WPI-developed process applies to different spent Li-ion battery waste streams and is therefore general.

Research Organization:
Worcester Polytechnic Inst. (WPI), Worcester, MA (United States); National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); US Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC LLC), Southfield, MI (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0006250
OSTI ID:
1471587
Journal Information:
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Vol. 6, Issue 11; ISSN 2168-0485
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 40 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (1)

Progress and Status of Hydrometallurgical and Direct Recycling of Li-Ion Batteries and Beyond journal February 2020

Figures / Tables (7)

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Fig. 6(p. 16)figure Fig. 6
Fig.7(p. 17)figure Fig.7

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Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
Lithium ion battery recycling
Precursor
Cathode Materials
Recycling streams
Coprecipitation
Rate capability