Abstract

The increase in the number of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) on the market in the last decades, boosted by the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, has led to high extraction and use rates of raw materials. LIBs contain scarce materials, mostly in concentrations higher than in natural ores. Nonetheless, large scale recycling processes of LIBs focus mainly on valuable materials (e.g., Ni and Co). Graphite from anodes is currently not reclaimed. In addition, LIB recycling facilities use energy and resource-intensive technologies based on pyro- and hydrometallurgy. Accordingly, recycling routes need to be improved to guarantee lower environmental impacts and more efficient recovery rates. In this context, this study examines the functioning of LIBs, their composition, main benefits and drawbacks related to the technology, and existing recycling processes for value recovery from LIBs. New approaches for resource valorization from LIBs are described, including biohydrometallurgy, resynthesis of electrodes, and production of metal-organic frameworks and graphene-based materials from cathodes and anodes. Fragilities and potentialities to manage end-of-life batteries are also discussed. Most studies found in the literature focus on LiCoO₂ cathodes and the most innovative investigations targeting automotive batteries are still limited to the lab-scale phase. In the future, the economic aspects and environmental impacts of these technologies require further assessment.

摘要

过去几十年来，在电动汽车日益普及的推动下，市场上锂离子电池（LIB）的数量增加，导致原材料的提取和使用率很高。LIB包含稀有物质，其浓度通常高于天然矿石。尽管如此，LIB的大规模回收过程主要集中于有价值的材料（例如，Ni和Co）。目前不回收来自阳极的石墨。此外，LIB回收设施使用基于火法和湿法冶金的能源和资源密集型技术。因此，需要改进回收路线，以确保对环境的影响较小，回收率更高。在这种情况下，本研究考察了LIB的功能，其组成，与该技术相关的主要利弊，和现有的回收流程，以从LIB回收价值。描述了利用LIB进行资源增值的新方法，包括生物湿法冶金，电极的再合成以及从阴极和阳极生产金属有机骨架和石墨烯基材料。还讨论了管理报废电池的脆弱性和潜力。文献中发现的大多数研究都集中在LiCoO上_2个阴极和针对汽车电池的最具创新性的研究仍仅限于实验室规模。将来，这些技术的经济方面和环境影响需要进一步评估。