Life-cycle analysis of battery metal recycling with lithium recovery from a spent lithium-ion battery

• Published in: Resources, conservation and recycling conservation and recycling, 2023-09, Vol.196, p.107040, Article 107040
• Main Authors: Yoo, Eunji, Lee, Uisung, Kelly, Jarod C., Wang, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Battery metal recycling; Life-cycle analysis; Lithium recovery; Lithium-ion battery; Recycled lithium hydroxide
• ISSN: 0921-3449; 1879-0658
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107040

•A new battery metal recycling technology recovers lithium along with other cathode materials from spent batteries.•The recovered LiOH has reduction benefits of the life-cycle GHG emissions, criteria air pollutant emissions, and water consumption compared to virgin LiOH production pathways.•The results present the environmental benefits by recovering materials for potential use in new cathode active material productions. Demand for critical materials (nickel, cobalt, manganese [NCM], and lithium) for use in batteries is increasing rapidly due to the expansion of the battery-electric vehicles market. Battery metal recycling (BMR) is an important technology that can potentially realize environmental and economic benefits in cathode active material (LiNixMnyCozO2) production using recycled materials. While current major battery recycling technologies recover cathode materials (NCM) and other metals (steel, aluminum, copper, etc.) from the spent battery, the lithium (Li) recovery rate is less than 1% in the world. In this study, we analyze the environmental benefits of a BMR process that recovers lithium in the form of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH∙H2O) along with other cathode materials. Using life-cycle analysis (LCA), we evaluate the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, criteria air pollutant emissions, and water consumption of the new BMR technology in terms of lithium hydroxide production and cathode active material production. The LCA results show that the life-cycle GHG emissions recycled LiOH are 37–72% lower than those of virgin LiOH production from Chilean brine and Australian ore, respectively. In addition, the life-cycle GHG emissions of NCM811 produced using the recycled materials are 40–48% lower compared to virgin cathode active material production. Furthermore, recovering lithium from the spent batteries reduces associated air pollutant emissions and water consumption relative to using the virgin materials or materials from other recycling technologies without LiOH recovery.