Breakthrough in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Technology

A recent study published on July 29 in the journal Advanced Functional Materials describes a rapid, efficient, and environmentally friendly method for selective lithium recovery using microwave radiation and an easily biodegradable solvent. Researchers at Rice University in the United States have developed this innovative process, which can recover up to 50% of lithium from spent lithium-ion battery (LIB) cathodes in just 30 seconds, addressing a significant bottleneck in LIB recycling technology.

Currently, the demand for lithium, a silvery-white metal, is soaring, outstripping supply.

Traditional methods of recovering lithium from spent batteries are environmentally harmful and highly inefficient. The main challenges include lithium contamination and loss during the recovery process, coupled with high energy consumption. Since lithium is typically extracted after other metals, researchers have sought methods specifically targeting lithium recovery.

In this study, the researchers used a mixture of choline chloride and ethylene glycol as a deep eutectic solvent (DES). They previously discovered that during the leaching process with DES, lithium ions are surrounded by chloride ions from choline chloride and leached into the solution.

To leach other metals such as cobalt or nickel, both choline chloride and ethylene glycol are required. Among these substances, only choline chloride effectively absorbs microwaves. The researchers immersed battery waste in the solvent and applied microwave radiation, enabling selective lithium leaching from other metals.

Using microwave radiation in this process is analogous to quickly heating food in a kitchen microwave oven. Energy is directly transferred to the molecules, making the reaction much faster than traditional heating methods.

The researchers found that with the microwave process, leaching 87% of lithium took 15 minutes, whereas achieving the same recovery rate with oil bath heating required 12 hours. This groundbreaking method significantly improves the economic viability and environmental impact of lithium-ion battery recycling, offering a sustainable new solution to a growing global problem.

For more industry and product information, please contact us:
WhatsAPP/Tel: +86-18100835727
Email: support@voltupbattery.com