Upgrading Polycrystalline Battery Cathodes to Single-Crystal NMC622 via Morphology-Controlled Recycling: Article No. 100552

The importance of recycling lithium-ion batteries is growing within the battery supply chain as a promising answer to economic and environmental challenges. Many initiatives are in progress to improve battery recycling technologies, as existing methods encounter major obstacles. Here, we report a polyol-metallurgical recycling process to upgrade polycrystalline cathodes to single-crystal cathodes, while detailing the coprecipitation and cathode resynthesis steps. Using citric acid and ethylene glycol enables effective leaching, simple separation, and controlled coprecipitation. Leveraging the distinct poly-esterification reactions in the precipitation phase, we achieve precise control over morphology and particle sizes. Using the coprecipitates, we have successfully resynthesized a LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode with a similar elemental composition compared to the pristine cathode, free of impurities, and exhibiting a single-crystal morphology featuring grain sizes in the range of 10 ..mu..m. The study showcases the potential of polyol metallurgy as a novel and efficient method for recycling lithium-ion batteries and synthesizing advanced cathode materials.