Progress, Key Issues, and Future Prospects for Li-Ion Battery Recycling

The overuse and exploitation of fossil fuels has triggered the energy crisis and caused tremendous issues for the society. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as one of the most important renewable energy storage technologies, have experienced booming progress, especially with the drastic growth of electric vehicles. To avoid massive mineral mining and the opening of new mines, battery recycling to extract valuable species from spent LIBs is essential for the development of renewable energy. Therefore, LIBs recycling needs to be widely promoted/applied and the advanced recycling technology with low energy consumption, low emission, and green reagents needs to be highlighted. In this review, the necessity for battery recycling is first discussed from several different aspects. Second, the various LIBs recycling technologies that are currently used, such as pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods, are summarized and evaluated. Then, based on the challenges of the above recycling methods, the authors look further forward to some of the cutting-edge recycling technologies, such as direct repair and regeneration. In addition, the authors also discuss the prospects of selected recycling strategies for next-generation LIBs such as solid-state Li-metal batteries. Finally, overall conclusions and future perspectives for the sustainability of energy storage devices are presented in the last chapter.

Automated summary

The overuse and exploitation of fossil fuels have led to an energy crisis and posed significant problems for society. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as a crucial renewable energy storage technology, have undergone rapid development due to the growth of electric vehicles. Recycling of LIBs to extract valuable materials is vital for the development of renewable energy and to avoid excessive mining. Therefore, the promotion and application of LIBs recycling, as well as the advancement of recycling technologies with low energy consumption, low emissions, and green reagents, are necessary. This review discusses the necessity of battery recycling, summarizes and evaluates the current recycling technologies, and explores cutting-edge recycling methods. The future prospects of recycling strategies for next-generation LIBs, such as solid-state Li-metal batteries, are also examined. Overall conclusions and future perspectives for the sustainability of energy storage devices are presented.