Endogenous advanced oxidation process with peracetic acid for recycling spent LiFePO4 batteries

LiFePO4 batteries are becoming more widely used due to their low cost and high stability advantages, which means that many spent batteries are generated. Designing green and efficient recycling methods for used batteries is strategically significant for the sustainable development of the new energy industry. This study innovatively proposes a self-activated advanced oxidation process with peroxyacetic acid for recycling spent LiFePO4, selectively releasing Li+ while converting LiFePO4 to FePO4. Quenching tests show that the de-embedding of Li+ is mainly caused by the rapid attack from HO• and R-O• radicals. Furthermore, the recycled products Li2CO3 and FePO4 are employed to regenerate LiFePO4 cathode materials, forming a stable closed-loop system. Compared with traditional hydrometallurgy and hydrogen peroxide oxidation methods, this technology has obvious advantages in terms of process complexity, energy consumption, reagent consumption, recovery profit, and environmental friendliness. This work opens up a new way for the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries.