Open AccessRecovery and Reuse of Composite Cathode Binder in Lithium Ion Batteries
Author(s) -
Sarkar Amrita,
May Richard,
Ramesh Sapna,
Chang Wesley,
Marbella Lauren E.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistryopen
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 29
ISSN - 2191-1363
DOI - 10.1002/open.202100060
Subject(s) - polyvinylidene fluoride , materials science , cathode , composite number , scanning electron microscope , chemical engineering , lithium (medication) , reuse , polymer , gel permeation chromatography , lithium ion battery , ion , tetrahydrofuran , composite material , battery (electricity) , organic chemistry , chemistry , waste management , medicine , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , solvent , engineering , endocrinology
Here, we investigate the recovery and reuse of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binders from both homemade and commercial cathode films in Li ion batteries. We find that PVDF solubility depends on whether the polymer is an isolated powder or cast into a composite film. A mixture of tetrahydrofuran:N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (THF : NMP, 50 : 50 v/v) at 90 °C delaminates composite cathodes from Al current collectors and yields pure PVDF as characterized by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PVDF recovered from Li ion cells post‐cycling exhibits similar performance to pristine PVDF. These data suggest that PVDF can be extracted and reused during Li ion battery recycling while simultaneously eliminating the formation of HF etchants, providing an incentive for use in direct cathode recycling.