Advanced Energy Materials, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 27, 2025

Abstract With the increased production of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions, lithium‐ion battery market supply those has grown dramatically. To enhance sustainability and circularity, direct recycling methods aim recover intact cathode materials. However, end‐of‐life materials are typically 15–20 years old often have lower energy density compared current address this challenge, a rapid precipitation process is developed boost by converting low Ni‐compositions, LiNi 0.33 Co Mn O 2 (NMC111), into higher Ni‐compositions (NMC622). This forms Ni‐rich coating on particles that diffuses core upon high‐temperature relithiation, increasing compositional homogeneity. The upcycling leverages existing infrastructure, offering capital cost minimal additional chemical input. Through ex situ tomographic transmission X‐ray microscopy (TXM), 3D Ni:Co elemental mixing quantified, confirming content evens at secondary particle level with mean NMC622 composition relithiation. gradients remain in single crystalline primary particles. Ex high‐resolution wide‐angle diffraction reveals concurrent structural changes during relithiation process. These findings provide key insights mechanisms diffusion obtain further improvements capacity retention through conversion

Language: Английский