Pang Dongjie, Wang Haoyu, Zeng Yimin, Han Xue, Zheng Ying
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada.
CanmetMATERIALS, NRCan, Hamilton, ON L8P 0A5, Canada.
Nanomaterials (Basel). 2025 Aug 20;15(16):1283. doi: 10.3390/nano15161283.
Rapid growth of electric vehicles has increased demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), raising concerns regarding their end-of-life management. This study comprehensively evaluates the closed-loop recycling of cathode materials from spent LIBs by integrating life cycle assessment (LCA), technoeconomic analysis, and technological comparison. Typical approaches-including pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, and other processes such as organic acid leaching and in situ reduction roasting-are systematically reviewed. While pyrometallurgy offers scalability, it is hindered by high energy consumption and excessive greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrometallurgy achieves higher metal recovery rates with better environmental performance but requires complex chemical and wastewater management. Emerging methods and regeneration techniques such as co-precipitation and sol-gel synthesis demonstrate potential for high-purity material recovery and circular manufacturing. LCA results confirm that recycling significantly reduces GHG emissions, especially for high-nickel cathode chemistry. However, the environmental benefits are affected by upstream factors such as collection, disassembly, and logistics. Technoeconomic simulations show that profitability is strongly influenced by battery composition, regional cost structures, and collection rates. The study highlights the necessity of harmonized LCA boundaries, process optimization, and supportive policy frameworks to scale environmentally and economically sustainable LIB recycling, ensuring long-term supply security for critical battery materials.
电动汽车的快速增长增加了对锂离子电池（LIBs）的需求，引发了对其报废管理的担忧。本研究通过整合生命周期评估（LCA）、技术经济分析和技术比较，全面评估了废旧锂离子电池正极材料的闭环回收。系统地综述了包括火法冶金、湿法冶金以及其他工艺（如有机酸浸出和原位还原焙烧）等典型方法。虽然火法冶金具有可扩展性，但受到高能耗和过多温室气体排放的阻碍。湿法冶金实现了更高的金属回收率，环境性能更好，但需要复杂的化学和废水管理。共沉淀和溶胶 - 凝胶合成等新兴方法和再生技术在高纯度材料回收和循环制造方面显示出潜力。生命周期评估结果证实，回收显著减少了温室气体排放，特别是对于高镍正极化学体系。然而，环境效益受到收集、拆解和物流等上游因素的影响。技术经济模拟表明，盈利能力受到电池组成、区域成本结构和收集率的强烈影响。该研究强调了统一生命周期评估边界、工艺优化和支持性政策框架对于扩大环境和经济可持续的锂离子电池回收规模的必要性，以确保关键电池材料的长期供应安全。
