Universal and efficient extraction of lithium for lithium-ion battery recycling using mechanochemistry

The increasing lithium-ion battery production calls for profitable and ecologically benign technologies for their recycling. This study presents a highly efficient mechanochemically induced acid-free process for recycling lithium from cathode materials of varying chemistries, including LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, Li(CoNiMn)O2, and LiFePO4, utilizing aluminum as a reducing agent. Two processes were developed to regenerate lithium and transform it into pure Li2CO3. The mechanisms of mechanochemical transformation, aqueous leaching, and lithium purification were investigated. The results demonstrate that the technology achieves a recovery rate for lithium of up to 70% without employing any corrosive leachates or high temperatures. Notably, the regeneration of lithium was successfully performed across all relevant cathode chemistries, including their mixtures. This work addresses the pressing need for sustainable recycling methods in the dynamically growing market of lithium-ion batteries.