Research Progress on Metallurgical Recovery Process of Waste Lithium Batteries

The recycling of waste lithium-ion batteries is crucial for resource sustainability and human well-being. Waste lithium-ion batteries need to undergo pre-processing and disassembly to separate various components, among which the cathode material holds the highest recycling value and significance. Currently, metallurgical processes are the main methods for the recycling of waste lithium-ion battery cathode materials. These processes typically involve three stages: pre-processing of waste lithium-ion batteries, extraction of valuable metals, and recovery of products. This paper summarized the main methods and advancements in each stage and compared the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches. Through comparison, it is found that in the pre-processing stage of waste lithium-ion batteries, mechanized treatment methods are the future direction. In the stages of extracting valuable metals and recovering products, coupling various processes to develop a green, low-cost, and highly efficient integrated process will be the future trend.