Application of recycled Si from industrial waste towards Si/rGO composite material for long lifetime lithium-ion battery

The photovoltaic industry discards a large amount of Si resources, facing the environmental problem. The reuse of this Si resource helps reduce the cost of waste disposal and utilizes the Si source as an anode for secondary lithium-ion batteries by simple recycling processes. The recycled Si nanoparticles silicon (Si NPs) with rGO in the sponge-like structure of the composite obtains via a freeze-drier aided by the Triton X-100 (TX 100) surfactant. The surfactant also decomposes to form an amorphous carbon shell on the Si surface directly, leading to the protective layer from the volume expansion. The Si/rGO composite obtained from recycled Si exhibits a high initial capacity of 2300 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1, with a stable capacity retention of 72% over 300 cycles at 200 mA g-1. The proposed simple surfactant-assisted self-assembly synthesis confirms that recycled-Si particles sourced from industrial waste are applicable for the production of rechargeable lithium batteries.

Automated summary

The photovoltaic industry generates a large amount of silicon waste, which can be reused as an anode material for secondary lithium-ion batteries through simple recycling processes, leading to cost reduction and improved battery performance. The recycled silicon composite obtained from industrial waste shows high initial capacity and stable capacity retention over multiple cycles, demonstrating its potential for battery production.