Resonant Acoustic Vibration-Assisted Cathode Stripping for Efficient Recycling of Spent Li-ion Batteries

Abstract

The emerging field of direct recycling for spent Li-ion batteries offers significant advantages, such as reduced energy expenses and minimized secondary pollution, when compared to traditional pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods. This is due to its direct utilization of the spent cathode as a raw material. However, efficient harvesting of spent cathode particles remains a challenge. To address this, this technical brief is the first to incorporate Resonant Acoustic Vibration Technology (RAV) as an efficient method for stripping cathode powders from spent Li-ion batteries. Our findings indicate that RAV-based techniques can achieve stripping efficiencies as high as 92%. A comparative analysis with conventional stripping methods, such as magnetic stirring, sonication, and curling-uncurling, reveals that RAV coupled with heat treatment provides unparalleled scalability and efficiency, eliminating the requirement for post-processing. Furthermore, the resulting cathode powders retain their original polycrystalline particle structures, with no impurities like carbon black or small aluminum fragments detected. These findings highlight the promise of RAV technology for large-scale recovery of electrode powders and its potential role in the direct recycling of spent Li-ion batteries.