	US 12,444,780 B2
	Recovery of materials from spent batteries using a green solvent
Ilias Belharouak, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Yaocai Bai, Oak Ridge, TN (US); and Rachid Essehli, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Assigned to UT-BATTELLE, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed by UT-Battelle, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/551,395.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/126,695, filed on Dec. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0200073 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 10/54 (2006.01); H01M 4/62 (2006.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01)

CPC H01M 10/54 (2013.01) [H01M 4/622 (2013.01); H01M 10/0525 (2013.01)]

16 Claims

1. A method of recycling lithium-ion battery materials, the method comprising:

isolating a composite electrode, the composite electrode comprising an electrode material adhered to a current collector;

combining the composite electrode with a citrate-based solvent to form a mixture, wherein the citrate-based solvent includes one or more of acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC), triethyl citrate (TEC), and tributyl citrate (TRC);

delaminating the electrode material from the current collector in the mixture to give a free electrode material and a free current collector; and

recovering each of the free electrode material and the free current collector from the mixture.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing a new composite electrode using the free electrode material.