Physicochemistry of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Processes

The electric mobility and the energy transition rely on the development of performant energy storage devices such as fuel cells and Lithium-ion batteries. It is expected a huge increase of Lithium-ion battery production in the next years due to the increase of electric vehicles on the market. These batteries will have to be recycled in the next ten years. It is therefore of great importance to develop the recycling sector of Lithium-ion batteries. Among other, the search for efficient, cheap, and environmentally friendly processes for recycling Lithium-ion batteries must be prioritized under the impulsion of governmental regulations. Hydrometallurgy will replace the pyrometallurgical processes in a closed loop recycling strategy to produce metallic salts from spent Lithium-ion batteries that could be reused to manufacture new batteries. This paper gives a brief overview of the key elements for designing appropriate Lithium-ion battery recycling processes.