Bioleaching of Post-consumer LiCoO2 Batteries Using Aspergillus Niger

Soaring demands for rechargeable Li-ion batteries in portable electronics and electric vehiclesElectric vehicles drive the unprecedented increase in post-consumer waste generation. Additionally, to fill the gaps between supply and demand for the critical elements in electrode materials, the recyclingRecycling of waste batteries has become essential. Traditional recyclingRecycling using high-energy smelting and high-reagent leaching processes generates harmful waste, hence, a new biotechnological process is being searched as a green alternative. Therefore, this study discloses a bioleaching option of LiCoO2 cathode powder using fungi, Aspergillus niger as the source of metabolic excreted organic acids lixiviant. The results of one-step bioleaching yielded 96% (w/w) lithiumLithium, whereas this efficiency was ~ 94% (w/w) with two-step bioleaching of cathode powder fed at a pulp density of 5% (w/v). The efficiency of cobaltCobalt in both types of fungal bioleaching was below 1% (w/w). Thus, the study demonstrates the potential of Aspergillus niger in lithium extractionLithium extraction from cathode powder of the battery waste, and the results will further be utilized to improve the design of bioleaching protocols for environmentally friendly recoveryRecovery of both metals from LiCoO2 powder.