A simple electrochemical trick may change how we deal with the flood of spent electric vehicle batteries.
Chemists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a low-cost, low-waste method to recover lithium from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are widely used by automakers like Tesla and BYD. The team’s two-step system pulls lithium ions out of dead batteries and converts them into new, high-purity lithium chemicals. Published in ACS Energy Letters, the research offers a way to turn discarded batteries into a fresh supply of raw material just as regulators tighten rules on recycled content.
Why This Matters for EVs
Battery recycling has always focused on expensive metals like nickel and cobalt. LFP batteries contain iron and phosphate, which are cheap and abundant, making them unattractive to recyclers. Yet these batteries are booming because they’re safe and relatively inexpensive. That’s created a problem: lots of low-value scrap, with lithium as the only real prize.
“There’s no economically compelling method to recover lithium from spent LFP batteries even though the market is shifting to them,” said lead author and chemistry professor Kyoung-Shin Choi.
How the Process Works
Current recycling relies on melting (pyrometallurgy) or dissolving (hydrometallurgy) battery materials. Both are expensive and messy, leaving piles of waste. Choi’s approach uses a two-step electrochemical cell:
- Leach lithium ions from spent batteries into a mild acidic solution.
- Capture those ions on a storage electrode, then release them into a new solution to crystallize pure lithium compounds such as lithium phosphate, lithium carbonate, or lithium hydroxide.
The process runs at room temperature, requires minimal chemical input, and regenerates much of the acid it consumes. In trials, it worked with both disassembled commercial batteries and industrial “black mass,” the powder left after batteries are shredded.
Regulatory and Industry Pressure
The European Union will require by 2031 that EV batteries sold in Europe include minimum levels of recycled lithium. That gives automakers a strong incentive to find cost-effective recycling. The UW–Madison group has filed patents through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and is working with industry to scale up.
“The technology works, but it is important to scale it up in the most cost-effective manner,” Choi said.
Takeaway
The study shows a scalable, low-cost way to recycle lithium from the fastest-growing class of EV batteries. Unlike current recycling methods, the electrochemical process generates little waste and even regenerates its own acids. If commercialized, it could help automakers meet looming regulations and reduce reliance on lithium mining.
The next step is moving from lab proof to industrial pilot. Choi is launching a startup to pursue commercialization, a move watched closely by automakers under pressure to secure lithium supply chains.
Journal: ACS Energy Letters
DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.5c01234
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