Research progress on failure mechanism and cathode material recycling of the spent lithium iron phosphate batteries

The rapid growth of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries has made the efficient recycling of their cathode materials a critical research priority. Current industrial recycling predominantly relies on traditional metallurgical techniques, which are energy-intensive and environmentally polluting. In contrast, nondestructive strategies such as direct regeneration show great potential by addressing root causes of failure, such as lithium loss. The innovation of this review lies in moving beyond a mere listing of technologies, proposing a novel analytical paradigm that directly links “failure mechanism diagnosis” with “material performance recovery.” Based on this framework, we systematically demonstrate that the spectrum of technologies—from destructive metallurgy to precise direct regeneration—constitutes a continuum of targeted remediation for structural damage at varying scales. A critical assessment of their efficacy and underlying scientific interconnections is provided. This review systematically summarizes the failure mechanisms of LFP batteries and provides an in-depth discussion of recent advances in pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and direct regeneration, offering new insights for researchers.