Recycling and reutilization of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode materials from spent lithium-ion battery

With the permeation of LIBs into electric vehicles, the recycling of spent LIBs appears inevitable from the perspective of health, economic, and environmental protection. In this work, a facile process was proposed to realize the recycling and reutilization of valuable metals from spent LIBs. By ammonia leaching, co-precipitation, and solid phase reaction, fresh LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode material was regenerated. The results revealed that an increase in the concentration of sulfite and ammonia was beneficial to the dissolution of valuable metals except aluminum. And the dissolution of Mn was mainly dominated by pH value and the concentration of sulfite. The initial specific discharge capacity of the regenerated LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 reaches 178.4 mAh·g−1 at 0.1 C. After 100 cycles, the capacity retains 92.1% at 0.5 C, which shows excellent electrochemical performance. In general, the recycling process may be worth considering for the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries.