How Much Of A Lithium Battery Is Recyclable?

Against the backdrop of accelerating global energy transition and the rapid development of the new energy industry, lithium batteries serve as the core power source across these sectors. They have found widespread application in electric vehicles, mobile phones, laptops, electronic technology products, energy storage systems, and numerous other industrial domains. With the dramatic surge in demand and usage of lithium batteries, the issue of recycling and processing end-of-life units has become increasingly prominent. The recovery and treatment of spent lithium batteries have emerged as a critical link in resource utilisation. Driven by both the dual carbon goals and the upgrading of the new energy industry, the recycling of spent lithium batteries has emerged as a core track within the circular economy. Lithium battery recycling machine, leveraging its efficient and environmentally sound technological advantages, has ushered in revolutionary breakthroughs in this field. Characterised by green efficiency and intelligent precision, lithium battery recycling production lines have become industry-recognised solutions distinguished by both high brand credibility and technological maturity. They provide enterprises with one-stop services spanning battery recycling and resource regeneration.

Recyclable Components in Lithium Batteries

Lithium battery cells typically comprise stainless steel casings, cathode plates, anode plates, plastic separators, and electrolyte solutions. Excluding plastic separators and electrolytes, metal components account for nearly 80% of recyclable materials. Current mainstream lithium battery types include LFP, NMC, and LCO. Among these, LCO batteries hold the highest recycling value, followed by NMC. Although LFP batteries hold a significant market share, their recycling value is relatively low. Cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) possess higher recycling value in spent ternary lithium batteries. As magnetic metals, Co and Ni recovered from spent ternary batteries can be utilised in synthesising magnetic materials. Lithium (Li) exhibits the highest recycling value in spent lithium iron phosphate batteries, owing to the free intercalation and deintercalation of Li+ ions within the unit cell. Its iron-based compounds currently represent the most stable cathode materials for batteries. Battery materials also contain copper and aluminium. Copper accounts for approximately 13%, while aluminium constitutes around 11%. Recovered copper and aluminium can be directly reused in industrial production or smelting processes.

Recyclable Components in Lithium Batteries

Core Equipment for Lithium Battery Recycling Machines

The lithium battery recycling processing system is not merely an assembly of individual devices. Rather, it constitutes a comprehensive, logically structured sequence employing ‘physical methods + pyrolysis + sorting techniques’.

• Pre-treatment Stage: Battery materials undergo crushing and grinding. Precise grinding achieves a particle size of ≤1mm. Integrated technologies including magnetic separation, gravity separation, and vibratory sorting effectively remove magnetic impurities and preliminarily separate copper and aluminium. For electrode sheet recovery, high-efficiency grinding mills and ultrasonic vibrating screens are employed. This effectively resolves issues such as excessive aluminium foil fragmentation and powder residue inherent in traditional processes, ensuring complete separation of black mass and metallic materials.
• Pyrolysis Stage: The high-temperature, oxygen-depleted pyrolysis system constitutes a critical phase. Battery materials undergo calcination within a 450°C pyrolysis furnace. Under oxygen-free conditions, electrolyte rapidly volatilises and is condensed for recovery. Concurrently, plastic separators and binders undergo carbonisation treatment. This facilitates complete separation of positive and negative electrode active materials. The entire process eliminates organic compounds, laying a robust foundation for subsequent high-purity metal recovery.
• Sorting Stage: Lithium battery crushing and sorting equipment employs dual mechanisms including air classification and gravity separation. Utilising aerodynamic principles, it achieves preliminary separation of light and heavy materials. Precise adjustments based on density differences between copper and aluminium particles enable efficient separation. The resulting black powder exhibits a recovery rate exceeding 98%, Purity levels exceed 99%, with both copper and aluminium recovery rates reaching 98%. This meets battery-grade raw material standards.

Core Equipment for Lithium Battery Recycling Machines

Amidst the new energy industry’s drive towards high-quality development, lithium battery recycling machinery is spearheading the sector’s advancement towards ‘zero pollution and high-value recovery’ through continuous technological iteration. This recycling technology provides the practical foundation for comprehensive resource regeneration.