A review of research in the Li-ion battery production and reverse supply chains

Attributed to the rising popularity of electric vehicles, the global demand for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) has been increasing steadily. This creates several potential issues in the raw material supply chain, as the production of the batteries is not sufficient to meet the increasing demand. Due to the variation of the battery cell designs, different manufacturing processes are typically followed at different stages in the battery life cycle, leading to the differences in both economic and environmental performance. In this regard, this review paper discusses the current battery raw material composition and battery manufacturing processes concerning their financial, and environmental impact. Moreover, the end-of-life management of the LIBs has not been acknowledged universally for various reasons, such as economic constraints, technical difficulties, regulatory gaps, environmental impacts, and logistics issues. The review describes the end-of-life management of the Li-ion battery (LIB) from raw material composition to recycling/remanufacturing from the perspective of industrial engineering, manufacturing, chemical engineering, material science, energy, and sustainability management. Finally, corresponding research gaps in production, reverse supply chains, and logistics for LIBs are discussed, and suitable future research directions are provided at the end.

Automated summary

Due to the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, the global demand for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) has been steadily increasing. This poses challenges in the supply chain of raw materials, as battery production cannot keep up with the rising demand. Different manufacturing processes are used at different stages of the battery life cycle, resulting in variations in economic and environmental performance. This review paper discusses the financial and environmental impact of current battery raw material composition and battery manufacturing processes. Additionally, the end-of-life management of LIBs faces various challenges such as economic constraints, technical difficulties, regulatory gaps, environmental impacts, and logistics issues. The review explores the end-of-life management of LIBs from raw material composition to recycling/remanufacturing, taking into account perspectives from industrial engineering, manufacturing, chemical engineering, material science, energy, and sustainability management. It also identifies research gaps in production, reverse supply chains, and logistics for LIBs and suggests future research directions.