Direct Battery Electrode Recycling With Binder Decomposition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium-ion batteries generate significant waste during manufacturing, usage, and disposal, posing environmental sustainability concerns and economic inefficiencies due to high material costs and environmental hazards, with existing recycling methods like pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes being economically unviable or altering material morphology.

Innovation Solution

A direct recycling method involving heat treatments and surface treatments to decompose and purify electrode materials, including solvent washing and flotation processes, to regenerate commercially usable cathode and anode materials, preserving their structure and electrochemical properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical recycling methods are used, then battery waste can be processed, but the material morphology is altered and economic viability is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial morphology preservationVSAvoideconomic viability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies controlled heat treatment at specific temperature ranges (400-1200°C) to selectively decompose binder materials while preserving electrode material morphology. This parameter-controlled approach allows direct recycling without the extensive chemical processing required by traditional methods, reducing costs while maintaining material quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes only the binder component from the electrode material through targeted heat treatment, leaving the valuable electrode material intact. This selective extraction enables direct reuse of electrode materials without complete reprocessing, improving both economic viability and morphology preservation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If traditional recycling methods are used, then battery waste can be disposed of, but greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegreenhouse gas emissionsVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted in traditional recycling into a beneficial tool for selective binder decomposition. By controlling heat treatment parameters, the process transforms what could be uncontrolled combustion into a precise chemical transformation that preserves valuable materials and reduces emissions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat treatment process enables the electrode material to essentially self-purify by decomposing the binder in situ, eliminating the need for extensive external chemical processing, material transport, and reprocessing operations that consume energy and generate emissions in traditional recycling methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method recovers valuable battery components efficiently, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, while maintaining the quality of recycled materials for reuse in new batteries.

Implementation Method 1

applying a first heat treatment at a temperature of between about 100° C. and about 700° C. to the battery waste, the first heat treatment decomposing at least about 80 wt % of the binder

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal decomposition: Pyrolysis

Implementation Method 2

applying a second heat treatment at a temperature between about 400° C. and about 1,200° C. to the electrode material to produce a regenerated electrode material, the second heat treatment decomposing at least 90 wt % of binder remaining in the electrode material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal decomposition: Pyrolysis

Implementation Method 3

The surface treatment can include applying a solvent to the electrode material. In some embodiments, the solvent can include citric acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, ammonium chloride, and/or chemical derivatives thereof

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Data Source

PatentUS12431553B2Methods and systems for scalable direct recycling of battery waste

Publication Date: 2025.09.30 LI IND INC

AI summary

Embodiments described herein relate to methods of recycling battery waste. In some aspects, a method can include applying a first heat treatment at a temperature of between about 100° C. and about 700° C. to the battery waste, the first heat treatment decomposing at least about 80 wt % of the binder, separating the electrode material from the current collector, and applying a second heat treatment at a temperature between about 400° C. and about 1,200° C. to the electrode material to produce a regenerated electrode material, the second heat treatment decomposing at least 90 wt % of binder remaining in the electrode material to produce a regenerated electrode material. In some embodiments, the method can include applying a surface treatment to the electrode material to remove surface coatings and/or surface impurities from the electrode material. In some embodiments, the surface treatment can include applying a solvent to the electrode material.