Coupling CO capture process with electrochemically enhanced membrane distillation system for lithium-ion battery recovery: Reagent-Saving and environmental footprint reducing.

The evolution of energy structure and the push for carbon neutrality have triggered an urgent call for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, reclaiming end-of-life LIBs with high purity, high efficiency, and low environmental impact, particularly by eliminating chemical reagent usage and promoting a closed-loop carbon footprint, is challenging. Herein, we proposed a strategy that couples the carbon capture (CC) process with an electrochemically enhanced membrane distillation system (ECMD). The artificial LiCoO leachate was treated under the Li/Co separating mode, and the separation factor exceeded 14,000, forming CoO(OH) precipitates and Li-enriched concentrates. Subsequently, the Li-enriched concentrates were treated in Li recovering mode, and battery-grade LiCO was harvested with a purity of over 99.80 wt.%. The calculated production yield of LiCO was up to 234.19 g·kW·h, with a CC efficiency of 31.89 %. The membrane fouling and membrane failure analysis further confirmed the robustness of this process. Finally, the mass transfer and conversion processes were described by coupling the Antoine equation, Faraday's law, and two-film theory. On this basis, a dynamic equilibrium model was established, which revealed the feasibility of the long-term zero-liquid-discharge treatment. This research provides an innovative pathway for LIBs recycling, and highlights the potential of the proposed mathematic model for designing novel membrane processes with smaller environmental footprints.