New research by Victoria-based Monash University identifies pre-treatment of lithium-ion batteries as an overlooked recycling strategy in the recovery of valuable metals lithium, nickel, and cobalt.
Pre-treatment is the first processing step, turning spent batteries into “black mass,” before valuable metals can be extracted.
The study compares three main industrial approaches – mechanical, thermal and chemical pre-treatments to identify clear trade-offs between environmental performance, recovery efficiency and operational complexity.
Published in Nature Sustainability, the Impacts of pretreatment routes on spent lithium-ion batteries recycling paper discusses how the pre-treatment stage can account for up to 38% of the environmental impact of recycling and significantly affects material losses, depending on battery type and processing method.
Monash University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Victor Chang said lithium-ion battery recycling is not just a technical challenge but also a system design challenge.
“Pre-treatment shapes both recovery efficiency and environmental outcomes. Decisions made at this stage will affect system performance for decades, so it’s vital that they are guided by robust evidence,” Chang said.
“While many countries are planning to invest in and scale up battery recycling industries, our work highlights an important aspect of the process – the pre-treatment stage. This step is often overlooked, but it can be critical in determining the efficiency, safety, and overall effectiveness of downstream recycling processes.”
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