Characterization and Thermal Treatment of the Black Mass from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

Recycling lithium-ion batteries is crucial for the environment and the sustainability of primary resources. In this paper, we report on the characterization of two grades of black mass from spent lithium-ion batteries (with typical lithium–nickel–manganese–cobalt oxide cathode compositions) and thei...

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Published in:Sustainability 2023-01, Vol.15 (1), p.15
Main Authors: Mousa, Elsayed, Hu, Xianfeng, Ånnhagen, Ludvig, Ye, Guozhu, Cornelio, Antonella, Fahimi, Ario, Bontempi, Elza, Frontera, Patrizia, Badenhorst, Charlotte, Santos, Ana Cláudia, Moreira, Karen, Guedes, Alexandra, Valentim, Bruno
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Batteries
Carbon
Cathodes
Cobalt
Cobalt oxides
Decomposition
Energy
Evaporation
Fluorine
Graphite
Heat treatment
Heating
Hydrocarbons
Lithium
Lithium-ion batteries
Manganese
Metallurgy
Metals
Organic compounds
Polyvinylidene fluorides
Recycling
Sustainability
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds
X-ray diffraction
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Summary:Recycling lithium-ion batteries is crucial for the environment and the sustainability of primary resources. In this paper, we report on the characterization of two grades of black mass from spent lithium-ion batteries (with typical lithium–nickel–manganese–cobalt oxide cathode compositions) and their behavior during heating trials. This study paves the way for optimizing lithium-ion battery recycling processes by fully characterizing black mass samples before and after heating. A gas release under pyrolytic conditions was detected using a multicomponent mass spectrometer and included dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, oxygenated hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons, and other miscellaneous gases. This can be attributed to the evaporation of volatile organic compounds, conductive salt, organic polyvinylidene fluoride binder, and an organic separator such as polypropylene. Thermal treatment led to the partial decomposition of the binder into char and newly formed fluorine cuboids. The compaction of the cathode decreased, but the remaining binder limited recycling processes. By heating the black mass samples to 900 °C, the intensity of the X-ray diffraction graphitic carbon peak decreased, and the lithium metal oxides were reduced to their corresponding metals. The graphite in the black mass samples was structurally more disordered than natural graphite but became more ordered when heated.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su15010015