Comparative Study on Cathode Delamination for Efficient Lithium-ion Battery Recycling with Industrial Relevance

The transition towards electric mobility demands the development of efficient and sustainable methods for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries. A crucial step in recycling cathodic foils involves the delamination of active cathode materials rich in critical and valuable metals from the aluminium current collectors. This pre-treatment step not only reduces the volume of material entering downstream extraction processes but also mitigates the overall criticality associated with metal recovery. However, the strong adhesive interaction created by the polyvinylidene fluoride binder between the cathode layer and the aluminium substrate is challenging, thereby limiting the optimisation of recycling efficiency. The present review examines the currently reported delamination mechanisms, including mechanical separation, direct calcination, molten-salt-assisted, electrochemical, and solvent-based approaches. A transparent comparison of these methods is presented in terms of efficiency, cost, energy demand, and environmental impact. Among these, cathode delamination using γ-valerolactone solvent demonstrates high potential. It includes an energy consumption of ~258 Wh, a cost input of ~INR 118, and a net environmental emission of +0.524 kg CO ₂ equivalent for delaminating a unit cell of cathodic foil area of ~720 cm ² (2 × 360 cm ² ). Overall, this study highlights delamination strategies with strong prospects for commercialisation, emphasising processes that minimise environmental risks and improve cost-effectiveness.