A promising method for recovery of graphite and cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries

Effectively separating graphite and cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and recovering them is essential to close the loop of material used in LIBs. However, the efficient and environment-friendly separation system that selectively recovers electrode materials has not yet been established. This manuscript discusses the process in-depth via a series of experiments. The results suggest that the organics are completely removed at the 505 ℃ roasting temperature, and the floatability difference between the graphite and cathode materials is improved, significantly. Meanwhile, part of Co3+ and Ni3+ changed into Co2+, Ni2+. The flotation experiment results indicate that the graphite and cathode materials can be effectively separated at the dosage of 400 g/t of methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), 200 g/t of diesel, and 3 min of ultrasonic time. The results of leaching experiments illustrate that the leaching efficiencies of Li, Ni, Co, and Mn reached 99.5%, 96.7%, 92.1%, and 99.7%, respectively, by the combination of citric acid and glucose. The research results provide a credible method for the development of closing the loop of spent LIB materials.