《Direct lithium extraction from spent batteries for efficient lithium recycling》
The flourishing expansion of the lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) market has led to a surge in the demand for lithium resources. Developing efficient recycling technologies for imminent large-scale retired LIBs can significantly facilitate the sustainable utilization of lithium resources. Here, we successfully extract active lithium from spent LIBs through a simple, efficient, and low-energy-consumption chemical leaching process at room temperature, using a solution comprised of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ether solvents. The mechanism of lithium extraction is elucidated by clarifying the relationship between the redox potential and extraction efficiency. More importantly, the reclaimed active lithium is directly employed to fabricate LiFePO4 cathode with performance comparable to commercial materials, and large-scale applications have been realized. Compared to the other strategies, this technical approach shows superior economic benefits and practical promise, and is expected to drive the sustainable development of industries.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2024.02.034
