Review on the sustainable recycling of spent ternary lithium-ion batteries: From an eco-friendly and efficient perspective

The overall crushing of spent ternary lithium-ion batteries (SNCM) makes the mix of the anode and cathode electrode materials. Multiple separation not only wastes energy, causes secondary pollution but also fails to achieve the excellent separation of the valuable component. Therefore, this paper reviewed the recycling methods of SNCM from three aspects, including the single recycling of anode electrode materials, the single recycling of cathode electrode materials and the overall collaborative recycling of anode and cathode electrode materials. The necessity of high-purity separation of the anode and cathode electrode materials was discussed by evaluating the difference between single recycling and overall collaborative recycling. A process that used collaborative reclaim to realize efficient and green resource utilization of electrode materials was proposed based on the review. In this process, the mixed electrode materials were first divided into rich cathode-poor anode materials and rich anode-poor cathode materials by flotation. Two kinds of materials were regenerated to prepare NCM. The recovery of the cathode was enhanced through the reduction properties of the anode. The electrochemical properties of the regenerated anode were enhanced by the in-situ self-utilization behavior of the cathode. The recovery process was optimized by simplifying the process and improving efficiency. The economic and green of the recovery process was ensured by treating the SNCM with readily available and environmentally friendly agents.