Influence of the Cell Type on the Physical Processes of the Mechanical Recycling of Automotive Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) manufacturers produce different cell formats (prismatic, cylindrical, pouch, etc.) with different casing materials (steel or aluminium) and cell chemistries (e.g., NMC, NCA, LFP, etc.) for application in electric vehicles. By law, these cells have to be recycled after their lifetime. This study investigates the influence of different cell types on the outcome of a standardized mechanical recycling process consisting of crushing, sieving and air classification. The aim of the study is to find out whether different cell types can be processed together or whether the recovery and product quality can be improved by processing them separately. Pouch cells require low energy consumption for crushing compared to cylindrical and prismatic cells. Steel as a casing material increases the energy requirement during crushing compared to aluminium. The particle size distribution of several product fractions varies significantly between the different cell types. During air classification, the separator, anode, and cathode show a similar separation behaviour and can be processed with the same settings, whereas for the separation of the casing metals, different settling velocities need to be applied depending on the casing material.