Spent lithium ion battery (LIB) recycle from electric vehicles: A mini-review

Qiang Wei; Yangyang Wu; Sijia Li; Rui Chen; Jiahui Ding; Changyong Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161380

Spent lithium ion battery (LIB) recycle from electric vehicles: A mini-review

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Mar 25:866:161380. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161380. Epub 2023 Jan 5.

Authors

Qiang Wei¹, Yangyang Wu², Sijia Li², Rui Chen², Jiahui Ding³, Changyong Zhang⁴

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China. Electronic address: weiqiang07@ustc.edu.cn.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
³ CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China. Electronic address: JiahuiDing@mail.ustc.edu.cn.
⁴ CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China. Electronic address: changyongzhang@ustc.edu.cn.

PMID: 36610625
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161380

Abstract

Electrifying transportation through the large-scale implementation of electric vehicles (EVs) is an effective route for mitigating urban atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and alleviating petroleum-derived fossil fuel reliance. However, huge dumps of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have emerged worldwide as a consequence of their extensive use in EVs. With the increasing shortage in LIB raw materials, the recycling of spent LIBs has become a fundamental part of a sustainable approach for energy storage applications, considering the potential economic and environmental benefits. In this mini-review, we will provide a state-of-the-art overview of LIB recycling processes (e.g., echelon utilization, pretreatment, valuable metal leaching and separation). We then discuss the sustainability of current LIB recycling processes from the perspectives of life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic feasibility. Finally, we highlight the existing challenges and possibilities of LIB recycling processes and provide future directions that can bridge the gap between proof-of-concept bench demonstrations and facility-scale field deployments through mutual efforts from academia, industry, and government. It is expected that this review could provide a guideline for enhancing spent LIB recycling and facilitating the sustainable development of the field.

Keywords: Echelon utilization; Recycle; Spent lithium-ion battery; Valuable metal extraction.

Publication types

Review