Upcycling graphite from waste lithium-ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodes
The rapid growth of lithium-ion battery (LIB) usage has intensified the need for efficient recycling strategies, particularly for graphite, the predominant anode material often overlooked in current recovery processes. This study presents a novel approach to upcycling graphite from spent lithium-ion...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Results in Engineering |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025029305 |
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| author | Kianoosh Bakhshayesh Nafiseh Hassanzadeh Farhad Abolhasani |
| author_facet | Kianoosh Bakhshayesh Nafiseh Hassanzadeh Farhad Abolhasani |
| author_sort | Kianoosh Bakhshayesh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rapid growth of lithium-ion battery (LIB) usage has intensified the need for efficient recycling strategies, particularly for graphite, the predominant anode material often overlooked in current recovery processes. This study presents a novel approach to upcycling graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), focusing on flotation-based separation of graphite from black mass derived from nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery waste. Spent laptop LIBs were crushed, and the resulting black mass was size-fractionated. Flotation experiments revealed that the optimal particle size of black mass for graphite recovery was 106 – 25 µm, effectively minimizing contamination from metallic foils. Pyrolysis at 500°C efficiently removed organic binders without degrading graphite quality. Systematic flotation tests demonstrated that a slurry pH of 9 yielded the highest separation efficiency. Under these optimized conditions (particle size of 25 – 106 µm, pH 9), graphite recovery exceeded 94 %, with a corresponding graphite grade about 80 %. The recovered graphite was subsequently converted to graphene oxide and then composited with TiNb₂O₇ to fabricate reduced graphene oxide-based hybrid anodes. Electrochemical evaluation showed that the upcycled composite anodes delivered a reversible capacity of approximately 138 mAh g⁻¹ at a 0.1C rate within a 0.8–3.0 V window. This integrated approach offers a scalable, value-added solution for LIB waste management, supporting circular economy principles and advancing sustainable energy storage technologies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e739200bfb564bfcade9de7d7fdb43d8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2590-1230 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-e739200bfb564bfcade9de7d7fdb43d82025-08-24T05:14:24ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302025-09-012710686710.1016/j.rineng.2025.106867Upcycling graphite from waste lithium-ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodesKianoosh Bakhshayesh0Nafiseh Hassanzadeh1Farhad Abolhasani2Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, IranCorresponding author.; Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, IranFaculty of Materials Science and Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, IranThe rapid growth of lithium-ion battery (LIB) usage has intensified the need for efficient recycling strategies, particularly for graphite, the predominant anode material often overlooked in current recovery processes. This study presents a novel approach to upcycling graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), focusing on flotation-based separation of graphite from black mass derived from nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery waste. Spent laptop LIBs were crushed, and the resulting black mass was size-fractionated. Flotation experiments revealed that the optimal particle size of black mass for graphite recovery was 106 – 25 µm, effectively minimizing contamination from metallic foils. Pyrolysis at 500°C efficiently removed organic binders without degrading graphite quality. Systematic flotation tests demonstrated that a slurry pH of 9 yielded the highest separation efficiency. Under these optimized conditions (particle size of 25 – 106 µm, pH 9), graphite recovery exceeded 94 %, with a corresponding graphite grade about 80 %. The recovered graphite was subsequently converted to graphene oxide and then composited with TiNb₂O₇ to fabricate reduced graphene oxide-based hybrid anodes. Electrochemical evaluation showed that the upcycled composite anodes delivered a reversible capacity of approximately 138 mAh g⁻¹ at a 0.1C rate within a 0.8–3.0 V window. This integrated approach offers a scalable, value-added solution for LIB waste management, supporting circular economy principles and advancing sustainable energy storage technologies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025029305Spent Li-ion batteriesGraphite recoveryUpcyclingFlotationBlack mass |
| spellingShingle | Kianoosh Bakhshayesh Nafiseh Hassanzadeh Farhad Abolhasani Upcycling graphite from waste lithium-ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodes Results in Engineering Spent Li-ion batteries Graphite recovery Upcycling Flotation Black mass |
| title | Upcycling graphite from waste lithium-ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodes |
| title_full | Upcycling graphite from waste lithium-ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodes |
| title_fullStr | Upcycling graphite from waste lithium-ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Upcycling graphite from waste lithium-ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodes |
| title_short | Upcycling graphite from waste lithium-ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodes |
| title_sort | upcycling graphite from waste lithium ion batteries into reduced graphene oxide hybrid composite anodes |
| topic | Spent Li-ion batteries Graphite recovery Upcycling Flotation Black mass |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025029305 |
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