Lab-scale to pilot-scale framework for lithium-ion batteries cathode recovery using protic ionic liquids as green solvents

Abstract

In the recovery of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) cathode, green recovery technologies are currently constrained by two critical limitations: most are limited to lab-scale studies, and research on preliminary scale-up simulations for practical application scenarios is insufficient. To address this gap, this study innovatively develops a progressive lab-scale to pilot-scale (LSPS) framework using protic ionic liquids (PILs) for LIBs cathode recovery. This framework not only investigates the impacts of lab-scale parameters but also prioritizes evaluating recovery efficiency across different scale-up ratios and process feasibility under simulated conditions. Lab-scale experiments on lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) achieve Li and Co leaching efficiencies of 87.6% and 95.3%, respectively. Notably, after a 200-fold proportional preliminary scale-up, the leaching efficiencies of both metals remain at 80%, confirming the stability of the system during scale-up process. These results provide technical backing for the potential industrial application of PILs in LIBs cathode recovery.