A Solar Pyro-Metallurgical Process for Li-ion Batteries Recycling: Proof of Concept

Recycling Li-ion batteries is a delicate but strategic operation that can be performed by either pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy or a combination of methods. This paper presents, for the first time, an innovative solar pyrometallurgical route that consists in three steps. They are pyrolysis, mechanical separation and smelting. The process is applied to LiNixMnyCo1-x-yO2 (NMC) cathode material. After pyrolysis at 580°C and smelting at 1000°C, the final product is a Ni-based alloy containing Co, Li and Mn.