Comprehensive recycling of spent automotive lithium-ion batteries in China: Full-chain processes and recycling strategies

Abstract

The recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has aroused considerable interest among the general public, industry professionals, and academic researchers, driven by its environmental, resource recovery, and economic benefits, particularly for those used in new energy vehicles. However, recycling spent automotive LIBs for industrial production remains challenging due to technical feasibility, recycling efficiency, economic viability, and environmental sustainability. This review aims to systematically analyze the status of spent automotive LIBs recycling, and provide an overall review of the full-chain recycling processes for technical evaluation and selection. Firstly, it carefully describes the pre-treatment process, which includes discharging, disassembly, inspection, crushing, pyrolysis, and sieving of LIBs. Subsequently, it examines the principal technologies in extracting valuable metals, including pyro-metallurgy, hydro-metallurgy, microbial metallurgy, mechanical chemistry, and electrochemical deposition. A comprehensive analysis of the operation, mechanism, efficiency, and economics is provided, helping readers understand the technical advantages, disadvantages, and applicable scenarios of each process. Furthermore, it also considers novel environmentally-friendly processes, such as direct regeneration and direct synthesis, and analyzes their potential and limitations in the resource recycling field. Finally, differentiated comprehensive recycling strategies are proposed for typical spent automotive LIBs, aiming at providing effective guidance and recommendations for industrial investors and practitioners, and promoting sustainable development of the comprehensive recycling industry.