[CARBON ENERGY] Direct recycling of Li-ion batteries from cell to pack level: Challenges and prospects on technology, scalability, sustainability, and economics

Direct recycling is an innovative approach that addresses the limitations of traditional lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling methods, attracting significant interest from both academic and industrial sectors. The main goal of direct recycling is to efficiently recover and restore active electrode materials and other components in the solid phase while maintaining their electrochemical performance. Compared to pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy, direct recycling is more cost-effective, energy-efficient, and sustainable, preserving the material structure and morphology and reducing the overall recycling process.

Recent advancements in direct recycling of LIBs cover battery sorting, pretreatment processes, separation of cathode and anode materials, and regeneration and quality enhancement of electrode materials. Various approaches are discussed to regenerate high-value electrode materials without compromising their electrochemical properties. Key challenges in scaling up direct recycling from lab to industry include battery design, disassembling, electrode delamination, and commercialization and sustainability. Strategies to support direct recycling efforts include the use of specific binders, electrolyte selection, and alternative battery designs, in response to changing market trends and technological advancements.

Integrating automation and intelligence into battery sorting can further decrease dependence on humans, minimize risk and cost, and enhance sorting speed while maintaining performance. An example process involves a series of robots: the first extracts bolts, nuts, and screws from the battery pack using vision technology; the second organizes cells into clusters based on remaining capacity; and the third cuts the cell case and separates the cathode and anode components from the polymer separator. Roy et al. provide a comprehensive overview of progress in direct recycling, including these automation aspects and various stages of the recycling process, in their detailed article.