Recycling of Laptop Spent Li-Ion Batteries and Characterization of Extracted Materials

Zarmeena Akhtar; Zubair Mehmood; Riwan Raza

Authors

Zarmeena Akhtar Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Pakistan
Zubair Mehmood Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat Pakistan
Riwan Raza Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Pakistan

Keywords:

Lithium-Ion Batteries, Recycling, Hydro-Metallurgy, Lithium Carbonate, Cobalt Hydroxide

Abstract

As the use of smart devices increases, the energy demand continues to grow, leading to higher consumption of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in portable electronics such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and electric vehicles. This increased usage has resulted in a rising number of discarded batteries, which contain hazardous chemicals and heavy metals that pose serious environmental risks. Recycling these batteries efficiently is essential for both environmental protection and economic sustainability. This study explores a recycling method for used laptop and notebook batteries through a pretreatment and solvent dissolution process, using mild phosphoric acid as the leaching agent. The hydro-metallurgical process successfully recovers 5.124% lithium and 42.143% cobalt, yielding lithium carbonate and cobalt hydroxide. The batteries, which consist of 50.80% lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂) cathodes on aluminum and graphite anodes on copper foils, serve as the primary source of material recovery. The recovered lithium carbonate and cobalt hydroxide are then used to synthesize active powder for cathode material. Advanced characterization techniques, including Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Raman spectroscopy, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), are employed to analyze the electrochemical properties of the recovered materials and synthesized powders. The results confirm the effectiveness of this recycling method in recovering valuable materials while reducing environmental impact. By addressing the growing problem of battery waste, this approach supports the sustainable production of new batteries through the reuse of critical materials. The study emphasizes the importance of developing efficient recycling technologies to promote a circular economy and reduce dependence on raw material extraction.

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