Recycling Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Waste Benzene-Containing Plastics: Synergetic Thermal Reduction and Benzene Decomposition

Baolong Qiu, Mengjie Liu, Xin Qu, Beilei Zhang, Hongwei Xie, Dihua Wang, Lawrence Yoon Suk Lee, Huayi Yin

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and benzene-containing polymers (BCPs) are two major pollutants that cause serious environmental burdens. Herein, spent LIBs and BCPs are copyrolyzed in a sealed reactor to generate Li2CO3, metals, and/or metal oxides without emitting toxic benzene-based gases. The use of a closed reactor allows the sufficient reduction reaction between the BCP-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) gases and lithium transition metal oxides, achieving the Li recovery efficiencies of 98.3, 99.9, and 97.5% for LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, and LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2, respectively. More importantly, the thermal decomposition of PAHs (e.g., phenol and benzene) is further catalyzed by the in situ generated Co, Ni, and MnO2 particles, which forms metal/carbon composites and thus prevent the emissions of toxic gases. Overall, the copyrolysis in a closed system paves a green way to synergistically recycle spent LIBs and handle waste BCPs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7599-7611
Number of pages13
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume57
Issue number19
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 May 2023

Keywords

  • Li recovery
  • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degradation
  • pyrolysis reduction
  • Spent lithium-ion batteries
  • waste plastics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry

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