Green and Selective Recovery of Lithium from Spent LiFePO Batteries

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Hubei, China, have developed an efficient and environmentally friendly method to recover lithium from spent lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO) batteries. The new process, which uses a phosphate-based leaching system, can extract lithium with high selectivity and efficiency, reducing waste generation and processing steps.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study focused on addressing the challenges of lithium recovery from spent LFP batteries, which has significant limitations due to complex leaching processes and secondary environmental pollution.
  • The developed phosphate-based leaching system utilizes ammonium dihydrogen phosphate with buffering properties and hydrogen peroxide for selective lithium recovery, achieving 100% lithium selectivity and 95.78% Li recovery efficiency under mild conditions.
  • The kinetic modeling and thermodynamic analysis revealed that the leaching process follows a chemical reaction control model with an activation energy of 19.93 kJ/mol.
  • The recovered lithium carbonate and iron phosphate residue were directly utilized for cathode material regeneration through solid-state synthesis, exhibiting excellent electrochemical performance.
  • The study showed that the environmentally benign process reduces waste generation and processing steps, offering a promising approach for sustainable recycling of spent LiFePO batteries.

Statistics:

  • 95.78% Li recovery efficiency
  • 100% lithium selectivity
  • 19.93 kJ/mol activation energy
  • 158.72 mAh·g discharge capacity at 0.2C
  • 91.33% capacity retention after 400 cycles at 0.5C

Sources:

  • Green and selective recovery of lithium by phosphate based leaching system from spent lithium iron phosphate batteries. Waste Management, 2025;209:115196.
  • Researchers' Work from Huazhong University of Science and Technology Focuses on Science (Green and selective recovery of lithium by phosphate based leaching system from spent lithium iron phosphate batteries). Chemicals & Chemistry. October 31, 2025; p 4136.