Metal recovery from ‘black mass’ of spent alkaline batteries using aqueous protic ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents

Abstract

Black mass, the crushed electroactive residue of the battery recycling process, is a valuable secondary source of critical metals. In this work, we present a two-step process, employing deep eutectic solvents and protic ionic liquids for low-temperature fractionalisation of black mass. This method achieved selective recovery of Zn and Mn, demonstrating a more sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional metal separation techniques.