Lithium-Ion Battery Second-Life Applications and Recycling

Dear Colleagues,

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in numerous areas, including electric vehicles, smart grids, portable electronics and electrical transportations. In recent years, electric vehicles have developed rapidly, with sales increasing year by year. The lithium-ion battery industry in China has continued its growth trend. By 2024, the total production of lithium-ion batteries in China will exceed 1170 GWh, a year-on-year increase of 24%, and the industry's total output value will exceed CNY 1.2 trillion. The retired batteries of future electric vehicles will be produced in large quantities, so the cascading utilization of lithium-ion batteries is very important.

Cascade utilization is a key link in the full lifecycle management of power batteries. The secondary application of retired batteries, such as energy storage power stations, low-speed electric vehicles, etc., can extend the battery life cycle, thereby extending the battery value chain and reducing the cost of energy storage systems. When the battery is no longer used for any secondary applications, it needs to be disassembled and recycled. Recycling is the process of extracting valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel through metallurgical or chemical methods.

The electrochemical process plays a central role in the secondary application (cascade utilization) of retired batteries. Electrochemical side reactions such as the thickening of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI), lithium deposition, and phase transition of active materials will lead to a decrease in battery capacity. Through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and other electrochemical tests, the remaining capacity and state of health (SOH) can be quantified to determine whether it is suitable for cascading utilization. By electrochemical lithium supplementation (such as adding lithium salt electrolyte) or reactivation, the loss of active lithium can be partially restored, and the service life of the cascade can be extended. By using electrochemical methods such as selective dissolution and electrodeposition, LiCoO₂ cathode materials can be directly repaired, preserving their original structure and being more environmentally friendly than pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical recycling.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate new strategies and promising approaches for the technology of lithium-ion battery second-life applications and recycling. In this Special Issue, we aim to provide an overview of recent advances in second-life applications and recycling. We welcome research papers involving theoretical, methodological and empirical studies, as well as review papers that provide a critical overview of the state of the art of technologies. Manuscripts from cross-disciplinary fields are strongly encouraged, such as battery electrochemistry, power electronics and control technology, as well as algorithmic and hardware design, which can provide timely and effective solutions for emerging challenges in lithium-ion battery second-life applications and recycling.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:  

• Lithium-ion batteries
• Battery second-life applications
• Battery recycling
• Battery electrochemistry
• Battery mechanism analysis
• Battery modelling
• Battery state estimation
• Battery remaining life prediction
• Battery management systems
• Artificial intelligence applications

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Qi Zhang
Prof. Dr. Yunlong Shang
Dr. Zhongkai Zhou
Guest Editors

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• lithium-ion battery
• second-life applications
• battery recycling
• batteries management system