Life Cycle Assessment for Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries’ Recycling Process: Environmental Impact, Energy Consumption, and Sensitivity Analysis

The management of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is a significant challenge for recyclers due to the increasing prevalence of electric vehicles. Considerable endeavors have been performed to advance the management of spent LIBs by means of the innovation and implementation of recycling techniques, including high-temperature and hydrometallurgical methods (sulfuric acid and citric acid), as well as the in situ reduction roasting method (vacuum and N₂). Nevertheless, the recycling process can potentially have adverse impacts on the environment and result in significant energy consumption, although the available data on this subject are currently limited. The present study utilized life cycle assessment (LCA) to comprehensively evaluate the environmental impact and energy consumption of these recycling processes. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of five distinct recycling systems, we have identified the crucial connections and primary elements that contribute to the mitigation of environmental consequences. While compared to the manufacture of new raw materials in industry, all recycling technologies have specific energy-saving and emission reduction impacts. The rates of consumption reduction are 68, 61, 38, 84, and 88%. This study provides a theoretical framework for firms and governments to establish more effective strategies for recycling of spent LIBs.