Technology for recycling and regenerating graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries

With the annual increase in the amount of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the development of spent LIBs recycling technology has gradually attracted attention. Graphite is one of the most critical materials for LIBs, which is listed as a key energy source by many developed countries. However, it was neglected in spent LIBs recycling, leading to pollution of the environment and waste of resources. In this paper, the latest research progress for recycling of graphite from spent LIBs was summarized. Especially, the processes of pretreatment, graphite enrichment and purification, and materials regeneration for graphite recovery are introduced in details. Finally, the problems and opportunities of graphite recycling are raised.