Ultrasonic-Assisted Electrode Material Separation: Towards Industrial Applications

The efficient recovery of valuable materials from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is essential for sustainable recycling and resource conservation. Ultrasonic-assisted separation has emerged as a promising recycling pre-treatment technique, which offers significant potential to enhance the material recovery processes. Thus, this study investigates the effectiveness of ultrasonic-assisted separation of electrode materials from lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC 622) LIB pouch cells and evaluates the feasibility of scaling this method for industrial applications. Among the solvents tested (ethanol, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, N-Methyl-2pyrrolidone (NMP), and distilled water), distilled water demonstrated the highest separation efficiency, achieving 69.4% removal of cathode material and 72.6% removal of anode material. Organic solvents like ethanol and acetone showed moderate performance. In addition to laboratory-scale efficiency, this research addresses critical challenges related to industrial implementation, such as limitations in sample loading, solvent accessibility, and process scalability. The number of samples processed in each batch significantly reduces separation efficiency due to material overlap and limited solvent interaction. This indicates the need for process modifications, such as improved agitation or optimized flow control. Furthermore, while ultrasonic separation presents an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical-intensive methods, ensuring its robustness for largescale operations requires further optimization. This study offers valuable insights into both the fundamental performance of ultrasonic-assisted separation and the practical barriers to its industrial adoption, contributing to the advancement of more efficient and scalable LIB recycling technologies.