Advances in the Separation of Graphite from Lithium Iron Phosphate from End-of-Life Batteries Shredded Fine Fraction Using Simple Froth Flotation

Abstract

Olivine-type lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4, LFP) lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become a popular choice for electric vehicles (EVs) and stationary energy storage systems. In the context of recycling, this study addresses the complex challenge of separating black mass of spent LFP batteries from its main composing materials to allow for direct recycling. In this study, 71% copper and 81% aluminium foil impurities were removed by sieving black mass to 2P2O7, a degradation product of LiFePO4. This research offers valuable insights for the development of efficient battery recycling methods for LFP batteries.

Keywords

• end-of-life Li-ion batteries
• froth flotation
• recycling
• graphite recovery
• black mass separation
• lithium iron phosphate