Economic and Technical Analysis of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling

This article is a research paper that examines the economic and technical aspects of pyrometallurgical recycling methods for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) used in battery-electric vehicles. It focuses on two distinct pyrometallurgical recycling routes: a direct smelting process and a multi-step process, analyzing their profitability based on various battery cell compositions including NMC333, NMC811, LFP, and NMCLMO. The paper conducts a total cost of ownership analysis for typified recycling plants at a pre-industrial scale, revealing that the chemistry of the battery cells significantly influences the profitability of recycling operations. The study also includes a sensitivity analysis to identify factors that could enhance the profitability of these recycling processes. The findings underscore the challenges of achieving profitable recycling, especially for low-cobalt and low-nickel battery types, and highlight the necessity for improved recycling methods to support the growing demand for sustainable battery disposal in the context of increasing electromobility.