About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Fundamentals of Sustainable Metallurgy and Processing of Materials
|
| Presentation Title |
Hydrogen-based Recycling of Spent Lithium-Ion-Battery Cathodes into Master Alloys for Steel Production |
| Author(s) |
Na Gong, David Dunand |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Na Gong |
| Abstract Scope |
We investigate a sustainable pyrometallurgical process using hydrogen to reduce to the metallic state various spent LiNi₀.₆Co₀.₂Mn₀.₂O₂ (LNCMO) cathodes and their variants, including systems mixed with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and other impurities found in battery recyclate (black mass). In-situ XRD is employed to monitor phase evolution during the hydrogen-assisted reduction. Additional tube furnace experiments confirm the formation of reduced Ni-Co-Mn and Ni-Co-Mn-Fe concentrated alloys displaying homogeneous microstructures with minimal residual metal oxides. These Ni-Co-Mn(-Fe) master alloys are diluted with Fe and Fe-Cr via arc melting to produce stainless steel. This simple recycling process - from low-value spent Li-ion batteries to high-value stainless steel - is an alternative to the established complex recycling approach where oxides are separated, purified, and recombined to be reused for battery cathodes. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Recycling and Secondary Recovery, Environmental Effects, Pyrometallurgy |