Comparative life cycle analysis of critical materials recovery from spent Li-ion batteries.

The development of new generations of electric vehicles is expected to drive the growth of lithium-ion batteries in the global market. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was utilized in this study to evaluate the environmental impacts of various hydrometallurgical processes in critical materials recovery from lithium-ion battery (LIB) cathode powder. The main objective of this work was to fill the knowledge gap regarding the environmental sustainability of various processes in LIB recycling and to generate a comprehensive comparison of the environmental burdens caused by numerous hydrometallurgical methods.