A proof-of-concept of direct recycling of anode and cathode active materials: From spent batteries to performance in new Li-ion cells

Recycling End-of-Life (EoL) Li-ion Batteries (LiBs) is a major target, driven mainly by recently published EU guidelines and by supply risks of primary resources for meeting the increasing demand of cell production. Even though LiBs recycling is technically feasible, it is limited by insufficient recycling efficiencies and high environmental impact of the currently available technologies. With moderate energy consumption and waste production, direct recycling is virtually the ideal approach in a circular economy perspective. However, the lack of verification of recycled materials under industrially relevant conditions hinders its attractiveness for large-scale applications. Here, we demonstrate direct recycling of NCM622 and graphite from spent cells and validate the recycled materials in new cells with commercially valid characteristics. We extend the recycling from the layered oxide cathode to the graphite anode with high efficiency and no toxic solvents used during the process. New cells with both recycled anode and cathode show very promising electrochemical performance comparable to those of commercially available active materials. The proof-of-concept of direct recycling offers the basis for identifying scalable routes and fast advancement of battery recycling.