Lithium-ion battery recycling presents significant material recovery challenges, with current processes achieving lithium extraction rates between 50-80% from end-of-life batteries. The black mass from shredded batteries contains valuable lithium compounds intermixed with other metals, electrolytes, and organic materials, requiring precise separation techniques to isolate high-purity lithium suitable for battery remanufacturing.

The fundamental challenge lies in developing extraction methods that can efficiently separate lithium from complex material mixtures while maintaining the purity levels required for battery-grade materials.

This page brings together solutions from recent research—including acid leaching processes, lithium phosphate precipitation techniques, electrolyte-based recovery systems, and integrated recycling-to-cathode manufacturing methods. These and other approaches focus on maximizing lithium recovery while minimizing energy consumption and process waste.

1. Lithium Extraction from Black Mass of Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries Using pH and Iron Concentration Adjustment

Li-Cycle Corp., 2023

Recycling lithium from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are a type of lithium-ion battery. The recycling process involves extracting lithium from black mass material derived from LFP batteries. The method includes adjusting pH and iron concentration of the black mass slurry, separating out ferrous phosphate, processing the resulting solutions to concentrate lithium sulfate, and precipitating lithium compounds for recovery.

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2. Lithium Extraction from Spent Batteries Using Electrochemical Plating and Aqueous Solvent

Iowa State Univeresity Research Foundation,Inc, 2023

An efficient green method for extracting lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries to solve the resource scarcity challenge. The method uses the lithium plating phenomenon that occurs during fast charging of end-of-life batteries to concentrate lithium at the anode/separator interface. This concentrated lithium is then recovered using water as the extraction solvent. The recovery process involves electrochemically charging the spent battery at high rates to induce lithium plating, which deposits metallic lithium at the anode. Extracting the concentrated lithium from the plated film and SEI layer using water only, no acids or bases, achieves over 90% lithium recovery compared to conventional recycling methods.

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3. Closed-Loop Lithium Extraction Process Using Organic Acid Leaching and Distillation

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2022

Closed-loop recycling process for lithium from lithium-ion battery cathode materials that selectively extracts lithium from a recycling stream containing lithium and transition metals. The process involves leaching the lithium with an organic acid that dissolves lithium but not the transition metals. The leach solution is then distilled to separate the dissolved lithium. The distilled lithium solution is sintered to form lithium carbonate powder that can be washed and filtered to obtain highly pure lithium carbonate. This closed-loop process provides efficient and selective recovery of lithium from battery recycling waste.

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4. Aqueous Process for Lithium Recovery from Waste Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Carbon Dioxide-Induced Leaching

KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, 2022

Recovering lithium from waste lithium-ion batteries using an aqueous process. The process involves immersing the battery active material in water and bubbling carbon dioxide. This leaches lithium from the material as soluble lithium compounds into the water. The pH is controlled to suppress aluminum leaching. The solution is then crystallized to recover lithium carbonate.

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5. Apparatus with Turntable and Fixed Assemblies for Suction, Shaking, and Dropping of Lithium-Ion Battery Components

GUANGDONG BRUNP RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, HUNAN BRUNP RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2025

Apparatus for efficiently recycling waste lithium-ion battery components like electrolyte, slurry and positive electrode material. The recycling system uses a turntable with fixed assemblies to suction, shake and drop out the battery contents. The slurry and electrolyte are centrifuged to separate and recycle. The solid positive electrode material is calcined, crushed and acid leached. This allows efficient and harmless recycling of all battery components without volatile gas release. The system has a simple flow, high efficiency and prevents environmental pollution compared to existing battery recycling methods.

6. 3D Roof Model Refinement Using Variable Neighborhood Search for Parameter Adjustment from Aerial Images

INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE INC, 2025

Fine adjustment of 3D roof models generated from aerial images using a variable neighborhood search (VNS) optimization technique. The VNS algorithm iteratively refines the parameters of a 3D roof model projected onto an aerial image to improve alignment. It weighs candidate models and uses VNS to find the optimal one. This allows refining roof models from aerial images for more accurate representation of the actual roofs.

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7. Recycling Process for Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries with Sequential Acid Leaching and Metal Precipitation

CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LTD, 2025

A low-cost, efficient method to recycle lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and produce high-purity LFP precursor material for reuse in new batteries. The recycling process involves steps like acid leaching, copper electrolysis, iron oxidation, iron phosphate precipitation, and lithium carbonate precipitation. It separates and removes impurities like copper and aluminum from the LFP precursor, reducing impurity content compared to other methods.

8. Efficient Recycling of Spent <scp>LiCoO</scp><sub>2</sub> Cathodes Via Confined Pore‐Assisted Simplified Direct Carbothermic Reduction Without External Reducing Agents

donghun kang, joowon im, sujong chae - Wiley, 2025

As demand for lithiumion batteries increases, the supply of materials is increasingly constrained by their geographical concentration. This has spurred significant research into recycling spent to enhance resource circulation. Currently, commercially applied methods (such as pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy) face environmental economic challenges, including waste acid gas generation, hightemperature heat treatment, operational complexity. A promising alternative carbothermic reduction process, which operates at lower temperatures, minimizing costs emissions. However, this method still requires large quantities external reducing agents. Therefore, study aims introduce a simplified direct (SDCR) process. The SDCR process leveraged carbon conductive organic binders within electrode Additionally, high compaction state created conducive environment gases, promoting efficient material recovery. approach reduces reliance on agents streamlines reupcycling making it viable.

9. Method for Selective Extraction of Lithium Hydroxide from Battery Waste Using Ammonia Reduction

SEM INC, 2025

A method to selectively extract lithium hydroxide (LiOH) from lithium-ion battery waste using ammonia (NH3) as a reducing agent. The method involves thermally reducing the battery cathode scraps in NH3 gas to convert lithium oxide (Li2O) into lithium hydroxide (LiOH) in situ. The lithium is then selectively extracted using water leaching since the reduced transition metals remain undissolved. Purification steps like filtration, CaO reaction, ion exchange, evaporation, and crystallization can further improve LiOH yield and quality.

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10. Single-Step High-Temperature Chlorination Process for Metal Recovery from Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Electrodes

NATIONAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTER OF ADVANCED ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS CO LTD, SHENZHEN HUINENG ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTER CO LTD, 2025

Recovering valuable metals like lithium, iron, aluminum, and silicon from waste lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery positive electrodes using a single-step high-temperature chlorination process. The process involves roasting the electrode material in a chlorine atmosphere at high temperature to form metal chlorides that can be directly distilled and condensed for recovery. This avoids the need for multiple leaching and extraction steps using large amounts of acids and bases. The high-temperature chlorination process allows direct distillation and condensation of the metal chlorides for recovery.

11. Microwave-Assisted Leaching Process for Metal Extraction from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

AGR LITHIUM INC, 2025

Recycling spent lithium-ion batteries to extract metals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and aluminum using a leaching solvent and microwave heating. The process involves contacting the leaching solvent with a portion of the battery to form a dispersion. The dispersion is heated with microwaves to 50-90°C for 10-5 minutes. The dispersion is filtered and the pH raised to precipitate the metal salts. This allows efficient, low-energy extraction compared to pyrometallurgy.

12. Ultrasonic Leaching System for Selective Extraction of Lithium, Calcium, and Magnesium

UT-BATTELLE LLC, 2025

Selective extraction of lithium, calcium, and magnesium using ultrasonic leaching. The process involves grinding the ore or waste to fine particles, adding an acidic solvent, and applying ultrasonic energy to the mixture in a leaching tank. The ultrasound selectively liberates the target metals from the ore/waste particles, allowing their extraction into solution while leaving behind the other components. The tank can have a stirrer and ultrasonic probe or plate to provide the sonic energy. This enables efficient, selective extraction of lithium, magnesium, and calcium from ores and waste materials without intensive grinding and leaching.

13. Recycling Positive Electrode Materials of Li-Ion Batteries by Creating a pH Gradient Within Aqueous Sodium Chloride Electrolyser

yue chen, xiaofei guan - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2025

Recycling the positive electrode materials of spent Li-ion batteries is critical for environmental sustainability and resource security. To facilitate attainment goal, this study presents a novel approach recovering valuable metals from lithium-ion (LIBs) in an H-shaped cell containing aqueous NaCl electrolyte. The process employs hydrochloric acid that could be derived chlorine cycle as leaching agent. electrolytic device engineered to generate high pH gradient, thereby enhancing metal elements eliminating requirement external or base addition. This green recycling adheres principles circular economy provides environmentally friendly solution sustainable battery material recycling.

14. Reciprocal Ternary Molten Salts Enable the Direct Upcycling of Spent Lithium‐Nickel‐Manganese‐Cobalt Oxide (NMC) Mixtures to Make NMC 622

tao wang, xiaoliang wang, huimin luo - Wiley, 2025

Cathode active material is the most valuable component of spent lithiumion batteries (LIBs), accounting for approximately 30% their overall value. Direct recycling cathode materials involves recovering, regenerating, and reusing them without breaking down chemical structure. This approach maximizes added value compound reduces manufacturing costs by avoiding need virgin production. However, one key challenge in scaling direct from lab to industry requirement highly purified materials, contrasting with low purity black mass generated battery shredding. No efficient separation process currently exists isolate different lithiumnickelmanganesecobalt oxides (NMCs) each other. Thus, technologies that can operate mixtures multiple NMC stoichiometries will be bestsuited industrial adoption. study explores into 622 using a "reciprocal ternary molten salts (RTMS)" system. Ionothermal relithiation upcycling within RTMS system successfully restore layered structure, lithium content, electrochemical performance degraded NMCs, yielding results comparable pristine (PNMC 622).

15. Closed Loop Process for Lithium Recovery from Recycled Battery Cathodes Using Formic Acid Leaching and Distillation

WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, 2025

A closed loop process for selective recovery of lithium from recycled lithium-ion battery cathode materials. The process involves leaching lithium using concentrated formic acid, distilling to separate lithium formate and trace impurities, sintering to convert lithium formate to lithium carbonate, washing to dissolve lithium carbonate and leave impurity carbonates, and precipitating lithium carbonate in acetone. This allows >99% lithium recovery with >99% purity from recycled batteries. The formic acid can be reused and impurities like transition metal carbonates remain in the solid residue.

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16. Pyrolysis Method for Metal Separation in Lithium Batteries Using CO Gas and Aluminothermic Reaction

TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY, 2025

Targeted recycling of waste lithium batteries using pyrolysis and CO gas to separate valuable metals like aluminum, cobalt and lithium. The method involves pyrolyzing the battery cathode strips in a CO atmosphere to agglomerate cobalt nanoparticles into larger millimeter-sized particles against the CO concentration gradient. This prevents alloying with aluminum and allows separation by magnetic separation. The aluminum foil collector from the original battery acts as a reducing agent for the aluminothermic reaction. The CO gas complexes nascent cobalt monomers but doesn't reduce metals like cobalt. The aluminum robs oxygen from metal oxides preferentially due to its lower oxygen partial pressure demand compared to CO.

17. Water Molecule Transfer Equilibrium between Li+ and Mg2+ to Reveal the Lithium Separation Mechanism

xingfang wang, yuze zhang, dong shi, 2025

The neutral organophosphate ester extraction system, particularly tri - butyl phosphate (TBP), has demonstrated remarkable efficiency in lithium recovery from high magnesium solutions. However, the underlying mechanism governing separation process remains incompletely understood. To elucidate this, hydration of ions and water transfer equilibrium are considered pivotal factors. Given scarcity comprehensive theoretical studies on between solution, this investigation employed a novel approach. Structural optimizations clusters , were conducted at wB97X D4/def2 TZVPPD level, followed by analyses formation electron energy changes Gibbs free variations. results indicated that ion interaction within first sphere is significantly stronger than second sphere. According to analysis, stable states solutions proposed be . hypothesis as state provides plausible explanation for selective Li+ Mg2+ TBP system method not only enhance our understanding via solvent but also offer innovative perspectives elucidating various metal mechanisms salting out effect related processes.

18. Study on selective recovery of lithium from cathode materials of decommissioned lithium batteries and its impact on corporate economic and environmental benefits

yanhong li, guangnan luo, haochen wang - Taylor & Francis, 2025

With the accelerated depletion of non-renewable resources and increased demand for lithium batteries, green recycling has become a key issue nowadays. In this study, effects mass ratio potassium persulfate to active material battery cathode material, roasting temperature, time, liquid-solid leaching time on rate lithium, cobalt, nickel manganese were investigated. For lithium-cobalt oxide materials, optimal conditions KSO LiCoO 2:3, temperature 700 C 60 min, 98.51% selective 99.86%. ternary NCM523, 1:2 ratio, reached 98.97%. The method positive corporate environmental impact by reducing need hazardous chemicals, lowering waste operating costs, avoiding harmful emissions. It is scalable cost-effective meets needs industry environmentally friendly resource recovery. K2S2Oroasting-water process proposed in study effectively overcomes problems acid pollution traditional recovery process, provides sustainable solution efficient batteries future.

19. Efficient Extraction of Lithium, Cobalt, and Nickel from Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt Oxide Cathodes with Cholin Chloride/Pyrogallol-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent

aisulu batkal, kaster kamunur, lyazzat mussapyrova - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2025

This study explores the use of a deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed choline chloride and pyrogallol (1:1 molar ratio) for recovery lithium, cobalt, nickel from spent lithium-ion battery cathodes based on LiNi0.33Co0.33Mn0.33O2 (NMC111). The DES exhibits moderate viscosity, intrinsic redox activity, strong complexation ability, enabling efficient metal dissolution under mild conditions. effects both temperature (5080 C) time (up to 12 h) leaching efficiency were systematically investigated. Optimal parameters80 C, 8 h, liquid-to-solid ratio 50yielded extraction efficiencies 92% Li, 85% Co, 88% Ni. Kinetic modeling indicated pseudo-first-order behavior with activation energies 26.6, 22.1, 25.2 kJ/mol Ni, respectively. Mechanistic analysis confirmed dual role as reducing agent (facilitating Co3+ Co2+ conversion) chelating ligand.

20. Three-Step Lithium Recovery from Battery Scrap via CO2 Leaching, Ion Exchange, and Thermal Decomposition

JAEYOUNGTECH LTD, 2025

Recovering lithium from lithium-ion battery scrap using a three-step process involving carbon dioxide water leaching, ion exchange resin purification, and thermal decomposition to produce high-purity lithium carbonate. The process involves roasting the battery scrap powder, grinding, carbon dioxide leaching to form lithium bicarbonate, ion exchange resin purification to remove impurities, and thermal decomposition to convert the lithium bicarbonate into lithium carbonate. This allows selective removal of impurities without additional chemicals and produces lithium carbonate with lower sodium and sulfur compared to conventional methods.

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21. Lithium Extraction from Battery Black Mass Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide in Fluidized Bed Reactor

22. Integrated System and Method for Lithium Metal Phosphate Synthesis via Lithium Extraction and Battery Recycling

23. Lithium Extraction Process from High Nickel Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass Using Dilute Sulfuric Acid Leaching

24. Integrated Process for Synthesis of Lithium Metal Phosphate Cathode Material from Recycled Battery Lithium Extraction and Phosphate Precipitation

25. Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Recycling via Auxiliary Alkali Leaching with Calcined Iron Sulfide

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