Bio-hydrometallurgical methods for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

A mature technology of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is applied in various electronic devices. The wide application of LIBs has brought large quantities of spent batteries, which has become a global problem. Owing to unfavorable effects of spent LIBs on the economic and environmental aspects, much effort has been made in many countries to manage and recycle the waste batteries. Owing to several restrictions in conventional recycling methods, the use of microorganisms has attracted increasing attention. The bio-hydrometallurgical approaches realize the win-win situation of environmental and economic benefits. In this chapter, the information available on the basic principles and recent developments of the bioleaching of metals from LIBs are reviewed in detail. Additionally, this chapter gives an overview of the previous studies performed in this field. Furthermore, the challenges, limitations, and potential solutions for applying more efficient bioleaching approach for recovery of metals from LIBs are highlighted.