A Review of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling: Technologies, Sustainability, and Open Issues
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Published:2024-01-22
Issue:1
Volume:10
Page:38
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ISSN:2313-0105
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Container-title:Batteries
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Batteries
Author:
Zanoletti Alessandra1ORCID,
Carena Eleonora2ORCID,
Ferrara Chiara23ORCID,
Bontempi Elza13ORCID
Affiliation:
1. INSTM and Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy
2. Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Università di Milano Bicocca, 20125 Milan, Italy
3. National Reference Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage (GISEL), Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are a widely used energy storage technology as they possess high energy density and are characterized by the reversible intercalation/deintercalation of Li ions between electrodes. The rapid development of LIBs has led to increased production efficiency and lower costs for manufacturers, resulting in a growing demand for batteries and their application across various industries, particularly in different types of vehicles. In order to meet the demand for LIBs while minimizing climate-impacting emissions, the reuse, recycling, and repurposing of LIBs is a critical step toward achieving a sustainable battery economy. This paper provides a comprehensive review of lithium-ion battery recycling, covering topics such as current recycling technologies, technological advancements, policy gaps, design strategies, funding for pilot projects, and a comprehensive strategy for battery recycling. Additionally, this paper emphasizes the challenges associated with developing LIB recycling and the opportunities arising from these challenges, such as the potential for innovation and the creation of a more sustainable and circular economy. The environmental implications of LIB recycling are also evaluated with methodologies able to provide a sustainability analysis of the selected technology. This paper aims to enhance the comprehension of these trade-offs and encourage discussion on determining the “best” recycling route when targets are in conflict.
Funder
Fondazione Cariplo through the grant “Tech4Lib–Spent Lithium ion battery recovery”
Fondazione Cariplo through the grant “Cathode Recovery for Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling, COLIBRI”
Regione Lombardia for the project Regional Hub for Circular Economy, R2BATT Laboratory
MUR-PRIN “enhanced metals recovery by coordination chemistry from lithium batteries waste–ERCOLE”
Next-GenerationEU
MICS (Made in Italy–Circular and Sustainable) Extended Partnership
Subject
Electrical and Electronic Engineering,Electrochemistry,Energy Engineering and Power Technology