Comparative Study on Cathode Delamination for Efficient Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling with Industrial Relevance

The transition to electric mobility demands the development of efficient, sustainable methods for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries. A crucial step in recycling cathodic foils involves delaminating active cathode materials rich in critical and valuable metals from the aluminum current collectors. This pre-treatment step not only reduces the volume of material entering downstream extraction processes but also mitigates the overall criticality associated with metal recovery. However, the strong adhesive interaction between the cathode layer and the aluminum substrate created by the polyvinylidene fluoride binder is challenging, thereby limiting the optimization of recycling efficiency. The present review examines the currently reported delamination mechanisms, including the mechanical separation, direct calcination, molten-salt-assisted, electrochemical, and solvent-based approaches. A transparent comparison of these methods is presented in terms of efficiency, cost, energy demand, and environmental impact. Among these, cathode delamination with γ-valerolactone as the solvent demonstrates high potential. It includes an energy consumption of ~ 258 Wh, a cost input of ~ INR 6.13, and a net environmental emission of + 0.524 kg CO₂ equivalent for delaminating a unit cell of cathodic foil area of ~ 720 cm² (2 × 360 cm²). Overall, this study highlights delamination strategies with strong prospects for commercialization, emphasizing processes that minimize environmental risks and improve cost-effectiveness.