Scientists unveil acid-free breakthrough in lithium-ion battery recycling

Scientists in Texas, USA have devised innovative technology to separate lithium and transition metals from spent battery cells without the acids, wastewater or high energy demands associated with conventional commercial systems.

Led by chemist James Tour at Rice University, in Houston, Texas, USA, the researchers have  developed a two-step flash Joule heating–chlorination and oxidation technique (FJH-ClO).

Intense heat bursts

Traditional processes often require hours of treatment and strong acids to break down electrode materials. By contrast, Rice’s FJH-ClO method uses split-second bursts of intense heat. In the first step, shredded battery waste is exposed to chlorine gas under flash Joule heating, which breaks down the composite structures.

A second rapid-heating stage in air converts most metals into oxides. Lithium, however, resists oxidation and remains in the chloride form, making it easily extracted using only water.

‘We designed the FJH-ClO process to challenge the notion that battery recycling must rely on acid leaching,’ says Tour, who is professor of chemistry, materials science and nanoengineering. ‘FJH-ClO is a fast, precise way to extract valuable materials without damaging them or harming the environment.’

High purity

According to the research team, the streamlined sequence recovers nearly all the core battery materials, including lithium, cobalt and graphite, in high purity. Early assessments indicate that even at pilot scale, the technique could use around half the energy and up to 95% fewer chemicals than established processes.‘

Previous methods required lengthy steps and harsh chemicals,’ adds first author and postdoctoral researcher Shichen Xu. ‘The speed and simplicity of the FJH-ClO approach is what makes real-world impact possible.’

Scale-up

The system appears well suited to be scaled up and the team is advancing commercial development through Flash Metals USA, a division of Metallium, with the aim of integrating the technology into the battery materials supply chain.
‘This is more than just a lab experiment,’ Tour insists. ‘It’s a blueprint for how the industry can meet the demand for battery materials without further straining the planet.”

If successful, the FJH-ClO process could reduce reliance on primary mining while establishing a new benchmark for sustainable, circular lithium-ion battery recovery.