A Review of Graphite Anode Recycling in Lithium-Ion Batteries: Technical Challenges and Geopolitical and Economic Implications

Engineering notes

Engineering notes will be added by the Power for Solar editorial team.

Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充：本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

The rapid expansion of lithium-ion battery (LIB) use in electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems has intensified the need for sustainable end-of-life management. While most research and industrial efforts have focused on recovering valuable metals, graphite anodes, despite constituting a significant portion of battery mass, remain relatively overlooked. This review evaluates current progress in graphite anode recycling, emphasizing technical challenges, scalability, and economic and geopolitical considerations. Conventional recycling methods, including hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and direct recycling processes, offer viable routes for material recovery but are often constrained by high energy demands, chemical consumption, and degradation of graphite quality. Regenerated graphite exhibits competitive electrochemical performance, with initial Coulombic efficiencies above 90% and reversible capacities comparable to those of commercial materials. In addition, strategies such as surface modification and defect engineering have proven effective in restoring structural integrity and enhancing cycling stability. Despite these advances, major challenges persist in achieving cost-effective, large-scale implementation and consistent material quality suitable for reuse in battery manufacturing. Given increasing supply risks and rapidly rising global demand for graphite, advancing sustainable recycling technologies has become essential. This review emphasizes the need for integrated technological innovation and supportive policy frameworks to enable the development of a circular economy for graphite.

Links and sources

• PDF from original source

Comments