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

Abstract

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 recyclingmore » 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.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  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
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Worcester Polytechnic Inst. (WPI), Worcester, MA (United States); National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); US Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC LLC), Southfield, MI (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
1471587
Grant/Contract Number:  
EE0006250
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 6; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 2168-0485
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
25 ENERGY STORAGE; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; Lithium ion battery recycling; Precursor; Cathode Materials; Recycling streams; Coprecipitation; Rate capability

Citation Formats

Zheng, Zhangfeng, Chen, Mengyuan, Wang, Qiang, Zhang, Yubin, Ma, Xiaotu, Shen, Chao, Xu, Dapeng, Liu, Jin, Liu, Yangtao, Gionet, Paul, O'Connor, Ian Edward, Pinnell, Leslie, Wang, Jun, Gratz, Eric, Arsenault, Renata, and Wang, Yan. High Performance Cathode Recovery from Different Electric Vehicle Recycling Streams. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b02405.
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Zheng, Zhangfeng, Chen, Mengyuan, Wang, Qiang, Zhang, Yubin, Ma, Xiaotu, Shen, Chao, Xu, Dapeng, Liu, Jin, Liu, Yangtao, Gionet, Paul, O'Connor, Ian Edward, Pinnell, Leslie, Wang, Jun, Gratz, Eric, Arsenault, Renata, & Wang, Yan. High Performance Cathode Recovery from Different Electric Vehicle Recycling Streams. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b02405
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Zheng, Zhangfeng, Chen, Mengyuan, Wang, Qiang, Zhang, Yubin, Ma, Xiaotu, Shen, Chao, Xu, Dapeng, Liu, Jin, Liu, Yangtao, Gionet, Paul, O'Connor, Ian Edward, Pinnell, Leslie, Wang, Jun, Gratz, Eric, Arsenault, Renata, and Wang, Yan. Thu . "High Performance Cathode Recovery from Different Electric Vehicle Recycling Streams". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b02405. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1471587.
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@article{osti_1471587,
title = {High Performance Cathode Recovery from Different Electric Vehicle Recycling Streams},
author = {Zheng, Zhangfeng and Chen, Mengyuan and Wang, Qiang and Zhang, Yubin and Ma, Xiaotu and Shen, Chao and Xu, Dapeng and Liu, Jin and Liu, Yangtao and Gionet, Paul and O'Connor, Ian Edward and Pinnell, Leslie and Wang, Jun and Gratz, Eric and Arsenault, Renata and Wang, Yan},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b02405},
journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering},
number = 11,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Thu Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b02405
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Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 33 works
Citation information provided by
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Figures / Tables:

Fig.1 Fig.1: Schematic representation of four different recycling streams, and the process to obtain the cathode material NMC111 from spent lithium ion batteries
All figures and tables (7 total)
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Works referenced in this record:

Toxicity of lithium to humans and the environment—A literature review
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Recovery of valuable elements from spent Li-batteries
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  • Paulino, Jéssica Frontino; Busnardo, Natália Giovanini; Afonso, Julio Carlos
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Recovery of cobalt and lithium from spent lithium ion batteries using organic citric acid as leachant
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A study of the separation of cobalt from spent Li-ion battery residues
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Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Considerations: Analysis of Potential Bottlenecks in Critical Metals
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Vacuum pyrolysis and hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries
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Electrochemical and structural characterization of cobalt recycled from cathodes of spent Li-ion batteries
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journal, May 2007

Processes and technologies for the recycling and recovery of spent lithium-ion batteries
journal, July 2016

Electrochemical recycling of cobalt from spent cathodes of lithium-ion batteries: its application as supercapacitor
journal, April 2012

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Bioleaching of metals from spent lithium ion secondary batteries using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
journal, January 2008

A closed loop process for recycling spent lithium ion batteries
journal, September 2014

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journal, June 2016

Cobalt recovery from cobalt-bearing waste in sulphuric and citric acid systems
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Preparation of LiCoO2 films from spent lithium-ion batteries by a combined recycling process
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A review of blended cathode materials for use in Li-ion batteries
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LiMn2O4 Spinel/LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 Blends as Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries
journal, January 2011

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Solving spent lithium-ion battery problems in China: Opportunities and challenges
journal, December 2015

Synthesis of high performance LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 from lithium ion battery recovery stream
journal, May 2015

Process for recycling mixed-cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries and kinetics of leaching
journal, January 2018

Effects of increase modes of shear force on granule disruption in upflow anaerobic reactors
journal, June 2012

Monodisperse Porous LiFePO 4 Microspheres for a High Power Li-Ion Battery Cathode
journal, February 2011

  • Sun, Chunwen; Rajasekhara, Shreyas; Goodenough, John B.
  • Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 133, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.1021/ja1110464
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

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

    • Larouche, François; Tedjar, Farouk; Amouzegar, Kamyab
    • Materials, Vol. 13, Issue 3
    • DOI: 10.3390/ma13030801
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      Figures / Tables found in this record:

      Fig.1 (p. 8)figure
      Fig. 2 (p. 12)figure
      Fig. 3 (p. 12)figure
      Fig. 4 (p. 14)figure
      Fig.5 (p. 15)figure
      Fig. 6 (p. 16)figure
      Fig.7 (p. 17)figure
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        Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.

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