Environmental-friendly low-cost direct regeneration of cathode material from spent LiFePO4

The green and low-cost recycling of spent LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode materials has become an urgent problem to be solved. In this work, a completely green and easy scale-up recycling process is developed to recycle the cathode powders from spent LFP batteries. The optimal regeneration conditions are obtained by adjusting temperature, Li+ concentration and reductant dosage. Meanwhile, the mechanism of regeneration is investigated by microscopic characterization and electrochemical performance testing. The regenerated LFP shows a good discharge specific capacity of 148 mAh/g at 0.05 C, which exhibits around 96% the capacity of raw LFP. Additionally, the costs of the consumption only account for 19.8% the price of raw LFP, which indicates that this method has good prospect of economic returns. This regeneration method is low in cost, simple in process, mild in conditions and easy to scale up, providing technical supports for the sustainable development of lithium-ion battery industry. [Display omitted] •A green and low-cost method has been proposed to regenerate the spent LiFePO4.•The decay and regeneration mechanisms of LFP are discussed in details.•The regenerated LFP shows a good discharge specific capacity recovery.•The costs of the consumption only account for 19.8% the price of raw LFP.