Concentrated-Solar-Thermal-Driven Recycling of Li-Ion Battery Waste Through Carbothermic Reduction: Thermodynamic Assessment and Experimental Verification

Following the global trend towards electric transportation, automakers are transitioning from internal combustion engines to electric vehiclesElectric vehicles. To overcome the expected increase in spent batteries, recyclingRecycling li-ion batteries is vital in securing the raw materials. While the pyrometallurgical route offers an effective metallurgical separation, its drawback lies in the high energy consumption from the high-temperature requirement. A high-temperature process by a cleaner energy source like concentrated solar energy is an alternative to address this issue. Solar energy proves promising due to its renewable nature. In this study, the battery waste containing various cathode metals was extracted through carbothermic reduction using anode carbon in a solar simulator furnace. A thermodynamic assessmentThermodynamic assessment  was conducted using the FactSage™ thermochemical package in conjunction with selected experimental data within the temperature range of 400–800 °C. The development of a concentrated-solar-thermal-driven recyclingRecycling route is a necessary step towards a sustainableSustainable process for recyclingRecycling spent liLithium-ion batteries.