Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries: Current Status and Future Outlook

Dear Colleagues,

Concerns about energy linked to a potential “peak oil” have led to fuel-saving efforts and the utilization of clean energy. These concerns are further complicated by the emerging challenges of climate change and global warming. Consequently, reducing greenhouse gases and CO2 emissions has presented an important challenge in the last three decades. Among all resources, metals are the third most commonly used, coming just after water and energy. Some countries have witnessed supply issues for strategic and critical metals. The scarcity of these resources has been complicated by another geopolitical factor (ownership of important and available parts of some metals). We have further observed a transition from a traditional linear economy to a new mode of resource flow based on a circular economy. Among the energy sector, batteries have seen significant commercial growth in recent decades due to the widespread use and growth of e-devices using lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the dark side of this progress is seen in the environment impact and scarcity of resources. To maintain a sustainable and safe supply chain, a circular economy (based on “the production of goods, the use of said goods by society, and recycling these goods at the end of life”) should be implemented. The conversion of produced/consumed wastes to secondary raw materials requires cleaner processes. This conversion of waste into secondary raw materials is the basis of the “Urban Mine” as waste converted to new “Urban Ores”. The circular Economy and “Urban Mine” are two key factors to achieving sustainability in any industry, including the battery industry. Safe, efficient and sustainable technologies for recycling are urgently needed. Emerging technologies must operate without creating additional environment impact while using minimal energy and having a low carbon print. Recycling approaches must prioritize low carbon emissions as well as a high recycling rate for not only expensive critical metals but also other strategic compounds, such as manganese, copper, graphite, fluoride and phosphate (in the case of LFP-based chemistry).

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Direct approach to recycling lithium-ion batteries;
• Recycling with sorting between basic materials of cells;
• Dismantling and safely opening EV batteries;
• Discharge and diagnosis of EV batteries at end of life;
• Second life of batteries;
• Production of precursors for active materials for LIBs;
• Closed-loop process for converting used batteries to new electrodes;
• Life cycle assessment of process for recycling LIBs.

Dr. Farouk Tedjar
Guest Editor

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