Recycling of spent LiNixCoyMn1−x-yO2 batteries by a glucose reduction-acid leaching approach: Performance and mechanism

Recycling of valuable elements from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is of critical significance for both economic benefits and environmental sustainability by preventing potential safety hazards and reducing environmental pollution associated with improper disposal. In this study, a glucose reduction-acid leaching approach was proposed to recover valuable metals from spent LiNixCoyMn1−x-yO2. Under the optimized extraction conditions, 99.54% Li, 99.84% Ni, 99.58% Co, and 99.1% Mn were leached out. The kinetic analysis of the glucose reduction-acid leaching process revealed that the reaction rate was controlled by internal diffusion of valuable metals. The oxidation derivatives of glucose were mainly C6H12O7, C6H10O7, C5H10O6, C4H8O5 and C4H6O6. Through the reductive leaching process, high-valence Ni(III), Co(III), and Mn(IV) metals were reduced to the low-valence state by glucose, allowing for their fast leaching, while glucose was oxidized and decomposed into smaller molecular weight organics. The findings of this study may provide a new strategy for the effective recovery of valuable metals from spent LIBs.