The Pitfalls of Deep Eutectic Solvents in the Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

The exponentially increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries and their limited lifetime lead to a significant increase in spent batteries. With the goal to address the sustainability and recyclability to minimize negative effects for the environment, an efficient process is vital to recover valuable materials from spent batteries by recycling. In this regard, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have attracted huge interest, due to their unique ability to efficiently extract valuable metals from spent batteries, while also being rendered greener and more cost-effective compared to current pyrometallurgy and/or hydrometallurgy. However, the DES approach also has its own set of challenges and drawbacks, which hinder the widespread use in the industry, including its restricted recyclability, high viscosity, low thermal and chemical stability, complex chemistry, as well as limited scalability. In this perspective, it is claimed that ongoing future research on the recycling of lithium-ion batteries requires the exploration of alternative processes including modification of current hydrometallurgy processes, if the consistent improvements cannot be achieved in DES system for recycling valuable elements.