Recovery of Cathode Materials and Aluminum Foil Using a Green Solvent

Bai, Yaocai; Essehli, Rachid; Jafta, Charl J.; Livingston, Kelsey (Grady) M.; Belharouak, Ilias

doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c01293

Title: Recovery of Cathode Materials and Aluminum Foil Using a Green Solvent

Abstract

Effective separation of cathode materials and current collectors is one of the most enabling steps, yet a very challenging step, in recycling electrode scraps and spent Li-ion cells. Here, a green solvent, triethyl phosphate, was used to recover invaluable cobalt-containing cathodes, such as NMC622, by dissolving the polymeric binder of poly(vinylidene fluoride). Electrochemically active materials were separated from cathode scraps collected at the manufacturing step of electrodes through a solvent-based separation method without jeopardizing their physical characteristics, crystalline structure, and electrochemical performance. In this work, we found that the recovered aluminum foils were clean without any sign of corrosion and that the polymeric binder could be recovered via a non-solvent-induced phase separation. Additionally, recovery of cathode materials from spent cells was achieved using refined separation parameters based on the recycling of cathode scraps. It is anticipated that this green solvent-based separation for cathode recovery will attract significant interest by the lithium-ion battery manufacturing and recycling communities.

Authors:

^[1]; Essehli, Rachid ^[1];

^[1]; Livingston, Kelsey ^[2];

^[3]

Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
(Grady) M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

Publication Date:: Tue Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2021

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Vehicle Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

OSTI Identifier:: 1783023

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 9; Journal Issue: 17; Journal ID: ISSN 2168-0485

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 25 ENERGY STORAGE; direct recycling; lithium-ion batteries; cathodes; triethyl phosphate; battery manufacturing

Citation Formats


                    Bai, Yaocai, Essehli, Rachid, Jafta, Charl J., Livingston, Kelsey, and Belharouak, Ilias. Recovery of Cathode Materials and Aluminum Foil Using a Green Solvent.  United States: N. p., 2021. 
Web.  doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c01293.

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                    Bai, Yaocai, Essehli, Rachid, Jafta, Charl J., Livingston, Kelsey, & Belharouak, Ilias. Recovery of Cathode Materials and Aluminum Foil Using a Green Solvent.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c01293

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                    Bai, Yaocai, Essehli, Rachid, Jafta, Charl J., Livingston, Kelsey, and Belharouak, Ilias. Tue .  
"Recovery of Cathode Materials and Aluminum Foil Using a Green Solvent".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c01293.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1783023.

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@article{osti_1783023,

  title        = {Recovery of Cathode Materials and Aluminum Foil Using a Green Solvent},

  author       = {Bai, Yaocai and Essehli, Rachid and Jafta, Charl J. and Livingston, Kelsey and Belharouak, Ilias},

  abstractNote = {Effective separation of cathode materials and current collectors is one of the most enabling steps, yet a very challenging step, in recycling electrode scraps and spent Li-ion cells. Here, a green solvent, triethyl phosphate, was used to recover invaluable cobalt-containing cathodes, such as NMC622, by dissolving the polymeric binder of poly(vinylidene fluoride). Electrochemically active materials were separated from cathode scraps collected at the manufacturing step of electrodes through a solvent-based separation method without jeopardizing their physical characteristics, crystalline structure, and electrochemical performance. In this work, we found that the recovered aluminum foils were clean without any sign of corrosion and that the polymeric binder could be recovered via a non-solvent-induced phase separation. Additionally, recovery of cathode materials from spent cells was achieved using refined separation parameters based on the recycling of cathode scraps. It is anticipated that this green solvent-based separation for cathode recovery will attract significant interest by the lithium-ion battery manufacturing and recycling communities.},

  doi          = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c01293},

  journal      = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering},

  number       = 17,

  volume       = 9,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2021},

  month        = {Tue Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2021}

}

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Title: Recovery of Cathode Materials and Aluminum Foil Using a Green Solvent

Abstract

Citation Formats

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The cathode–electrolyte interface in the Li-ion battery journal, November 2004

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Impact of Recycling on Cradle-to-Gate Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Automotive Lithium-Ion Batteries
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Lithium-ion battery recycling processes: Research towards a sustainable course
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Effective regeneration of LiCoO ₂ from spent lithium-ion batteries: a direct approach towards high-performance active particles
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