Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling

Laura Driscoll; Abbey Jarvis; Rosie Madge; Elizabeth H. Driscoll; Jaime-Marie Price; Rob Sommerville; Felipe Schanider Tontini; Mounib Bahri; Milon Miah; B. Leyla Mehdi; Emma Kendrick; Nigel D. Browning; Phoebe K. Allan; Paul A. Anderson; Peter R. Slater

doi:10.1016/j.joule.2024.07.001

Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling

Laura Driscoll, Abbey Jarvis, Rosie Madge, Elizabeth H. Driscoll, Jaime-Marie Price, Rob Sommerville, Felipe Schanider Tontini, Mounib Bahri, Milon Miah, B. Leyla Mehdi, Emma Kendrick, Nigel D. Browning, Phoebe K. Allan, Paul A. Anderson, Peter R. Slater^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Large-scale recycling and regeneration of lithium-ion cathode materials is hindered by the complex mixture of chemistries often present in the waste stream. We outline an efficient process for the separation and regeneration of phases within a blended cathode. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach using cathode material from a Nissan Leaf end-of-life (40,000 miles) cell. Exploiting the different stabilities of transition metals in acidic media, we demonstrate that ascorbic acid selectively leaches low-value spinel electrode material (LiMn₂O₄) from mixed cathode electrode (LiMn₂O₄/layered Ni-rich oxide) in minutes, allowing both phases to be effectively recovered separately. This process facilitates upcycling of the Li/Mn content from the resultant leachate solution into higher-value LiNi_xMn_yCo_zO₂ (NMC) phases, whereas the remaining nickel-rich layered oxide can then be directly regenerated. The method has been extended to other mixtures, with preliminary results illustrating the successful selective leaching of a sodium-ion cathode from a mixture with NMC811.

Original language	English
Journal	Joule
Early online date	30 Jul 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2024.07.001
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 30 Jul 2024

Keywords

selective leaching
Li-ion battery
EV battery
direct recycling
Na-ion battery
mixed cathode
hydrometallurgy

Access to Document

10.1016/j.joule.2024.07.001Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

DriscollL2024PhaseProof, 5.67 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542435124003039Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

1 Working paper

Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling
Driscoll, L. L., Jarvis, A., Madge, R., Price, J.-M., Sommerville, R., Schnaider Tontini, F., Bahri, M., Mehdi, B. L., Kendrick, E., Browning, N. D., Allan, P. K., Anderson, P. A. & Slater, P. R., 20 Oct 2023, ChemRxiv.
Research output: Working paper/Preprint › Working paper

1 Active
4 Finished

Next Generation Li-ion Cathode Materials (CATMAT)
Allan, P. (Co-Investigator), Slater, P. (Principal Investigator) & Kendrick, E. (Co-Investigator)
The Faraday Institution
1/10/23 → 30/09/25
Project: Research
Recycling of Li-ion Batteries 3
Leeke, G. (Co-Investigator), Slater, P. (Co-Investigator), Kendrick, E. (Co-Investigator), Reed, D. (Co-Investigator), Allan, P. (Co-Investigator), Stolkin, R. (Co-Investigator) & Anderson, P. (Principal Investigator)
The Faraday Institution
1/04/23 → 31/03/25
Project: Research
Recycling of Li-ion Batteries 2
Allan, P. (Co-Investigator), Anderson, P. (Principal Investigator), Leeke, G. (Co-Investigator), Slater, P. (Co-Investigator), Stolkin, R. (Co-Investigator), Reed, D. (Co-Investigator), Kendrick, E. (Co-Investigator) & Lee, R. (Co-Investigator)
The Faraday Institution
1/04/21 → 31/03/23
Project: Research
Next Generation Electrodes (via Oxford, Faraday)
Simmons, M. (Co-Investigator), Kendrick, E. (Principal Investigator) & Slater, P. (Co-Investigator)
Innovate UK
1/09/19 → 30/09/23
Project: Other Government Departments
ReLIB - Faraday Challenge Fast Track proposal - Circular economy
Elliott, R. (Co-Investigator), Lee, R. (Co-Investigator), Allan, P. (Co-Investigator), Slater, P. (Co-Investigator), Stolkin, R. (Co-Investigator), Walton, A. (Co-Investigator), Overton, T. (Co-Investigator), Reed, D. (Co-Investigator), Anderson, P. (Principal Investigator), Windridge, D. (Co-Investigator) & Gough, R. (Co-Investigator)
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council
1/03/18 → 30/06/21
Project: Research Councils

Research data supporting the publication "Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling"
Driscoll, L. (Creator), Jarvis, A. (Creator), Madge, R. (Creator), Driscoll, L. (Creator), Price, J.-M. (Creator), Sommerville, R. (Creator), Schnaider Tontini, F. (Creator), Bahri, M. (Creator), Miah, M. (Creator), Mehdi, B. L. (Creator), Kendrick, E. (Creator), Browning, N. D. (Creator), Allan, P. (Creator), Anderson, P. (Creator) & Slater, P. (Creator), University of Birmingham, 21 Jun 2024
DOI: 10.25500/edata.bham.00001126
Dataset

Cite this

Driscoll, L., Jarvis, A., Madge, R., Driscoll, E. H., Price, J.-M., Sommerville, R., Schanider Tontini, F., Bahri, M., Miah, M., Mehdi, B. L., Kendrick, E., Browning, N. D., Allan, P. K., Anderson, P. A., & Slater, P. R. (2024). Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling. Joule. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2024.07.001

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title = "Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling",

abstract = "Large-scale recycling and regeneration of lithium-ion cathode materials is hindered by the complex mixture of chemistries often present in the waste stream. We outline an efficient process for the separation and regeneration of phases within a blended cathode. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach using cathode material from a Nissan Leaf end-of-life (40,000 miles) cell. Exploiting the different stabilities of transition metals in acidic media, we demonstrate that ascorbic acid selectively leaches low-value spinel electrode material (LiMn2O4) from mixed cathode electrode (LiMn2O4/layered Ni-rich oxide) in minutes, allowing both phases to be effectively recovered separately. This process facilitates upcycling of the Li/Mn content from the resultant leachate solution into higher-value LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC) phases, whereas the remaining nickel-rich layered oxide can then be directly regenerated. The method has been extended to other mixtures, with preliminary results illustrating the successful selective leaching of a sodium-ion cathode from a mixture with NMC811.",

keywords = "selective leaching, Li-ion battery, EV battery, direct recycling, Na-ion battery, mixed cathode, hydrometallurgy",

author = "Laura Driscoll and Abbey Jarvis and Rosie Madge and Driscoll, {Elizabeth H.} and Jaime-Marie Price and Rob Sommerville and {Schanider Tontini}, Felipe and Mounib Bahri and Milon Miah and Mehdi, {B. Leyla} and Emma Kendrick and Browning, {Nigel D.} and Allan, {Phoebe K.} and Anderson, {Paul A.} and Slater, {Peter R.}",

year = "2024",

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doi = "10.1016/j.joule.2024.07.001",

language = "English",

journal = "Joule",

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Driscoll, L, Jarvis, A, Madge, R, Driscoll, EH, Price, J-M, Sommerville, R, Schanider Tontini, F, Bahri, M, Miah, M, Mehdi, BL, Kendrick, E, Browning, ND, Allan, PK , Anderson, PA & Slater, PR 2024, 'Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling', Joule. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2024.07.001

TY - JOUR

T1 - Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling

AU - Driscoll, Laura

AU - Jarvis, Abbey

AU - Madge, Rosie

AU - Driscoll, Elizabeth H.

AU - Price, Jaime-Marie

AU - Sommerville, Rob

AU - Schanider Tontini, Felipe

AU - Bahri, Mounib

AU - Miah, Milon

AU - Mehdi, B. Leyla

AU - Kendrick, Emma

AU - Browning, Nigel D.

AU - Allan, Phoebe K.

AU - Anderson, Paul A.

AU - Slater, Peter R.

PY - 2024/7/30

Y1 - 2024/7/30

N2 - Large-scale recycling and regeneration of lithium-ion cathode materials is hindered by the complex mixture of chemistries often present in the waste stream. We outline an efficient process for the separation and regeneration of phases within a blended cathode. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach using cathode material from a Nissan Leaf end-of-life (40,000 miles) cell. Exploiting the different stabilities of transition metals in acidic media, we demonstrate that ascorbic acid selectively leaches low-value spinel electrode material (LiMn2O4) from mixed cathode electrode (LiMn2O4/layered Ni-rich oxide) in minutes, allowing both phases to be effectively recovered separately. This process facilitates upcycling of the Li/Mn content from the resultant leachate solution into higher-value LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC) phases, whereas the remaining nickel-rich layered oxide can then be directly regenerated. The method has been extended to other mixtures, with preliminary results illustrating the successful selective leaching of a sodium-ion cathode from a mixture with NMC811.

AB - Large-scale recycling and regeneration of lithium-ion cathode materials is hindered by the complex mixture of chemistries often present in the waste stream. We outline an efficient process for the separation and regeneration of phases within a blended cathode. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach using cathode material from a Nissan Leaf end-of-life (40,000 miles) cell. Exploiting the different stabilities of transition metals in acidic media, we demonstrate that ascorbic acid selectively leaches low-value spinel electrode material (LiMn2O4) from mixed cathode electrode (LiMn2O4/layered Ni-rich oxide) in minutes, allowing both phases to be effectively recovered separately. This process facilitates upcycling of the Li/Mn content from the resultant leachate solution into higher-value LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC) phases, whereas the remaining nickel-rich layered oxide can then be directly regenerated. The method has been extended to other mixtures, with preliminary results illustrating the successful selective leaching of a sodium-ion cathode from a mixture with NMC811.

KW - selective leaching

KW - Li-ion battery

KW - EV battery

KW - direct recycling

KW - Na-ion battery

KW - mixed cathode

KW - hydrometallurgy

U2 - 10.1016/j.joule.2024.07.001

DO - 10.1016/j.joule.2024.07.001

M3 - Article

SN - 2542-4351

JO - Joule

JF - Joule

ER -

Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

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Research output

Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling

Projects

Next Generation Li-ion Cathode Materials (CATMAT)

Recycling of Li-ion Batteries 3

Recycling of Li-ion Batteries 2

Next Generation Electrodes (via Oxford, Faraday)

ReLIB - Faraday Challenge Fast Track proposal - Circular economy

Datasets

Research data supporting the publication "Phase-selective recovery and regeneration of end-of-life electric vehicle blended cathodes via selective leaching and direct recycling"

Cite this