Ultrafast Material Separation by Electrochemical Delamination for Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries Recycling

Abstract

The rapid growth of lithium-ion batteries in personal electronics and electric vehicles is leading to a substantial increase in end-of-life battery waste. Recycling these batteries is essential to closing the materials loop for sustainable energy systems. A crucial step in battery recycling is the separation of active materials from current collectors. However, current processes often require extensive use of acids, bases, or solvents, which intensifies environmental impacts. Here, we report an electrochemical delamination process for efficient and ultrafast separation of battery materials. By applying a mild voltage, gas bubbles form between the current collectors and active materials, facilitating their rapid separation with a separation efficiency of ∼100% and a metal recovery yield of >97%. Notably, no aluminum impurities are introduced into the recovered cathode materials. Mechanistic studies reveal that the superior hydrogen evolution capability of the current collectors, compared to the cathode and anode materials, drives the mechanical separation. This electrochemical delamination technique is versatile for various battery chemistries, as demonstrated by the successful separation of LiMn₂O₄, LiFePO₄, and LiNiCoMnO₂ cathodes from aluminum, as well as separating graphite anode from copper. Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis indicate that this process can reduce carbon emissions by 23–98% and operating costs by 28–98% compared to current methods, underscoring its potential for real-world implementation.