Modern Approaches to the Processing of Used Lithium-Ion Batteries

This brief review considers the main approaches to the processing of used lithium-ion batteries. A description of the initial raw materials depending on the elemental composition of the cathode material is presented. The main currently developed methods of processing of batteries—namely, pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, and direct processing—are briefly described. A hydrometallurgical method is recognized as the most optimum one. A description of the main process stages, namely, stages of preliminary treatment of batteries, alkaline treatment of the fine fraction that is a mixture of the anode and cathode materials, acidic leaching of the cathode material, and subsequent processing of the leaching product to isolate individual valuable components from it is presented for the said process.