Spent lithium-ion battery recycling: Process optimization and carbon footprint analysis based on thermal mechanical force

With the increasing number of spent lithium-ion batteries, the development of efficient and environmentally friendly recycling technologies has become a key research focus. This study aims to establish a physical recycling method that integrates thermal treatment and mechanical separation to enhance the recovery rate of LiFePO4 materials while minimizing environmental impact. The process combines thermal treatment, mechanical separation, and air separation, with key factors influencing material separation and recovery efficiency analyzed through single-factor and variance analyses. Additionally, the carbon footprint of the recycling process was assessed using SimaPro software. The experimental results indicate that within a temperature range of 270°C–300°C, thermal treatment effectively separates LiFePO4 from aluminum foil, achieving a recovery rate of 96.88%. The air separation experiments further demonstrate that at an airflow speed of 20 m/s, the cathode material and current collector can be efficiently separated. Moreover, the carbon footprint analysis shows that this method significantly reduces carbon emissions.