Extraction of Co and Li2CO3 from cathode materials of spent lithium-ion batteries through a combined acid-leaching and electro-deoxidation approach.

Recycling of the spent LIBs to extract Li and Co not only offers raw materials for batteries but also lays a sustainable way for battery development. Herein, we adopt a route combining hydrometallurgical and pyro-electrochemical routes to extract Li2CO3 and Co powder from the spent LIBs of cell phones. The LiCoO2-based cathode materials were firstly dissolved in H2SO4 solution containing H2O2 as the reductant, and the optimal conditions for attaining a high extraction rate of 99% were studied. After that, the precipitated Co(OH)2 was calcinated in air under 500 °C to generate Co3O4 which was thereafter electrochemically converted into Co powder and oxygen in molten Na2CO3-K2CO3. Overall, the hybrid method employing both hydro- and pyro-route provides an effective pathway to recover both Li2CO3 and Co powder from spent LIBs.