Researchers have unveiled a novel method that uses a battery’s internal stored energy to drive the recycling process, enabling recovery of over 93% of lithium and 95% of transition metals from spent lithium-ion cells.
Instead of relying on external furnaces or harsh chemicals, the technique triggers a controlled thermal runaway within the battery by charging it to a specific state (about 70% capacity in experiments). The internal heat, reaching roughly 1,100 °C, decomposes cathode materials into simpler oxides and metals that are more easily dissolved or separated.
After the internal heating stage, the battery is cooled, then mechanically ground and sieved to remove bulky copper and aluminum foils. The leftover powder is treated in two stages: first by washing with water (recovering more than 60% of lithium), and then with a mild acid to leach out the remaining lithium and transition metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
In tests on various lithium-ion battery chemistries, the method also yielded 98% lithium recovery for some NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt) cells, and about 87.7% lithium recovery for cobalt-free LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistries using just a water wash.
Traditional recycling techniques, like pyrometallurgy (smelting at >1,400 °C) or hydrometallurgy (acid dissolution), are energy intensive, produce waste, and require multiple pre-treatment steps. This new method drastically cuts energy input by using the battery’s own heat, reducing external energy demand and chemical usage.
Because the technique also leaves behind graphite with low contamination, that leftover carbon material might be reusable in new batteries, further closing recycling loops.
While promising, this method must still address safety, scalability, and process control. Controlling thermal runaway in a safe, repeatable manner, and managing gases produced during the reaction, are nontrivial challenges. The researchers describe triggers, containment measures, and a full process timeline that runs about 335 minutes in their prototype setup.
Moving forward, efforts will focus on adapting the process for large volumes of spent batteries, integrating it into existing recycling lines, and ensuring consistency across battery types. If refined, this approach could redefine sustainable battery recycling, making it more efficient, lower cost, and environmentally friendlier, especially as global demand for battery metals continues to soar.