Melt growth of LiFePO4 crystals from Carbon-decorated LiFePO4 powder for recycling purpose
摘要
Recycling spent lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, ubiquitous in electric vehicles and energy storage, is crucial for sustainability. However, the prevalent carbon coating, essential for battery performance, presents significant challenges during recycling processes. The melt growth of LiFePO4 crystals from a carbon-decorated LiFePO4 amorphous powder precursor via the Bridgman method was studied. The electrochemical performance of the regenerated LiFePO4 materials is significantly degraded which should be attributed to the presence of Fe-related defects. The results suggest decarbonization as a necessary step for achieving phase-pure crystalline LiFePO4 from wasted LiFePO4 batteries.