The Pechini method in recycling of cathode from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBS)

Full text: Technological change makes possible everything we have achieved as a society. However we cannot ignore that this technology impacts the environment and, therefore, we must find ways to balance development with waste recovery methods. In Brazil, the mobile industry has grown, bringing a large disposal of depleted batteries.In this context, the aim of the present study was to recycling the cathode from spent lithium-ion batteries, passed through leaching and a method of polymeric precursor, Pechini method. The leaching process was conducted in a solution of HNO₃ and H₂O₂ . The crystal structure and surface morphology of regenerated LiCoO₂ were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The size of the regenerated, homogeneously distributed LiCoO₂ crystals is about 5 μm. As for the electrochemical measurements, the chronopotentiometry technique was employed for construction of the charge-discharge curves. The regenerated LiCoO₂ material has good cycling performance. After 20 cycles, no significant change was observed in the form of curves and the measured potential. The proposed recovery/regeneration process is simple, environmentally begin and adequate for the recovery of valuable metals from spent LIBs. (author)