Search Results (1,076)

Achieving the EU’s climate goals by 2050 requires a rapid transition to a resource-efficient and circular economy. The electrification of transport increases the demand for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), where lithium–nickel–cobalt–manganese (Li-NMC) is the predominant cathode technology in the European automotive sector. Large-scale facilities for LiB production and recycling are emerging worldwide, bringing not only technical challenges but also challenges regarding healthy and safe working environments. Current knowledge on occupational exposure and health risks in the LiB industry is limited and largely based on evidence from other occupational settings. However, the LiB industry involves legacy and new combinations of metals and chemicals in novel contexts. Some of these substances have well-known adverse health effects, and combined exposure may increase their absorption and toxicity. Although processes are often highly specialised and automated, manual handling tasks remain, which put workers at risk of exposure. Important knowledge gaps remain regarding exposure levels, exposure pathways, dermal and systemic uptake, combined exposures, and potential health effects among workers. This perspective paper discusses current exposure scenarios and health risks in LiB production and recycling, identifies key knowledge gaps, and highlights future research needs to support evidence-based occupational risk management. To address several of these challenges, the GreenWorkLiB initiative applies a multidisciplinary approach combining exposure assessment, biomonitoring, and occupational medicine. The initiative investigates exposure pathways via air and skin, internal dose through biomonitoring, and potential health effects among workers in LiB production and recycling. The results can support the assessment of human health and safety within the EU’s Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework and contribute to safe and sustainable working environments in the LiB industry. Full article

Understanding lithium distribution and transport within Li-ion battery components is critical in improving battery longevity, safety and performance. This study investigates lithium concentration profiles across the interface of an aluminum-doped Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (Al-LLZO) solid electrolyte and a lithium metal anode using Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA), a non-destructive depth-profiling technique. The Al-LLZO electrolyte was synthesized via electrospinning, producing nanofibers, which were subsequently sintered into pellets of average thickness 380 µm. These pellets were integrated into a Li|Al-LLZO|NMC-111 half-cell and cycled at 0.1 C for 1, 3, and 10 cycles, indicating pronounced lithium accumulation at the electrolyte–anode interface. Using NRA, this study provided a clear pathway for better understanding lithium transport and interfacial behavior, by quantitatively measuring the lithium distribution at the Al-LLZO electrolyte–electrode interface, and to look at the changes at this interface over the battery cycles. Full article

As lithium demand surges and primary resources face depletion, lithium-bearing wastewater from urban mines has become a crucial secondary resource. For highly alkaline (pH 9–12), low-lithium (Li⁺ 0.5–5 g/L), high-sodium (Na/Li mass ratio > 30) wastewater generated from the alkaline leaching-washing of spent lithium-ion batteries in urban mining, a single-component, synergist-free extraction process employing HBL121 in sulfonated kerosene was developed, and its extraction stoichiometry, reaction mechanism, and industrial feasibility were elucidated. Saponification significantly enhanced extraction under moderate alkalinity: the saponified system achieved over 99% extraction efficiency at pH 11.0, whereas the non-saponified system required pH > 13.5 for comparable performance, thereby lowering alkali consumption by 81%. Under optimal conditions (saponification degree 40%, 30% (v/v) HBL121 and 70% (v/v) sulfonated kerosene, organic-to-aqueous phase ratio O/A = 1:1, extraction time 5 min), single-stage extraction efficiency exceeded 99%. A McCabe-Thiele diagram was used to determine the theoretical stage number for lithium stripping, showing that essentially all lithium ions can be stripped via a three-stage countercurrent process. Using 3.0 mol/L H₂SO₄ at an aqueous-to-organic phase ratio of 1:4, the stripping efficiency exceeded 99% from the loaded organic. Slope analysis, FT-IR, and ESI-MS confirmed a coordination mechanism between HBL121 and metal ions, forming a stable anionic bisphosphonate complex [LiNa₂(C₂₈H₄₄O₇P₂)]⁻, whose neutral parent form is HLiNa₂(C₂₈H₄₄O₇P₂). Full article

Lithium-ion batteries have been widely used as energy storage and power batteries due to their unique advantages. However, with increasing demands for battery performance and application scenarios, battery safety has become a significant obstacle to their application. To address this issue, this paper proposes and fabricates an advanced polyimide (PI) separator material with high porosity and excellent thermal stability. By introducing sodium chloride (NaCl) as a pore-forming template into a polyamic acid (PAA) precursor, a PI-based separator with a uniformly interpenetrating sponge-like pore structure was successfully constructed. The obtained PI-NaCl separator exhibits outstanding thermal structural stability, maintaining dimensional integrity without significant thermal shrinkage even when tested at temperatures as high as 250 °C. Furthermore, the porous structure of the PI-NaCl separator demonstrates excellent electrolyte wettability, as the electrolyte rapidly spreads upon contact (contact angle approaching 0°), which is significantly superior to commercial separators. In lithium symmetric cell tests, this separator achieves long-term stable stripping/plating cycling by virtue of its outstanding ionic conductivity, effectively mitigating interfacial side reactions with lithium metal. In LiFePO₄||C full-cell applications, the PI-NaCl-based battery exhibits good rate capability and cycling stability. Additionally, in an open-circuit voltage (OCV) monitoring experiment at a high temperature of 80 °C, the voltage of the PI-NaCl-based battery remained stable continuously for 8 h in comparison to that of the commercial separator-based battery. Full article

Spent lithium-ion battery electrolytes contain fluorine-, sulfur-, and phosphorus-bearing toxins, necessitating deep detoxification and directional conversion into C₁–C₆ light hydrocarbons. To elucidate the specific catalytic roles and sequential activation of cathode metals (Li, Ni, Co, Mn), this work systematically deconvolutes their mono- and multi-metallic migration mechanisms over a CaO-ZSM-5* catalyst during vacuum catalytic pyrolysis (530 °C, 100 Pa). Results reveal that Li⁺ and Ni²⁺ dominate C–O bond cleavage in carbonates and CaO-ZSM-5*-assisted decarboxylation and oxygen fixation, significantly increasing the relative hydrocarbon content. Conversely, Co^2/3+ and Mn⁴⁺ release reactive oxygen species, causing deep oxidation of hydrocarbons into CO₂ and antagonizing the targeted conversion. In multi-metallic systems, forming composite metal oxides (M_xN_yO_z) increases the energy barrier for releasing active catalytic ions, hindering carbonate cleavage and leaving unreacted carbonate feedstocks. For detoxification, F and P are effectively immobilized as CaF₂ and Ca₂P₂O₇. The relative content of detected gas-phase nitriles is minimized to <2% due to the strong antagonistic effect of Ni²⁺ on Li⁺-promoted hexanedinitrile cleavage, while sulfur species derived from 1,3-propane sultone are converted to SO₂ and ultimately mineralized as calcium and metal-sulfur salts. Mechanistically, product distributions and crystallographic properties suggest a hypothesized sequential activation model—Li⁺ → Ni²⁺ → Mn⁴⁺—governing reactivity, whereas Co^2/3+ does not participate in the synergistic detoxification and selective upgrading process. This migration–reaction coupling framework provides critical insights for cathode-assisted in situ catalytic pyrolysis and closed-loop electrolyte recycling. Full article

Transition metal sulfides are promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, but their practical application is limited by severe volume variation and sluggish reaction kinetics during cycling. Inspired by the natural mineral assemblage of seafloor massive sulfides (SMS), FeS₂/CuFeS₂ composite anodes were prepared by a mechanochemical ball-milling method with mass ratios of 9:1 and 7:3 to reflect the major compositional characteristics of SMS. Among them, the 9:1 composite (F9C1) exhibited the best overall electrochemical performance, delivering a reversible capacity of 763.4 mAh g⁻¹ after 300 cycles at 1 C and retaining 46% of its baseline capacity at 5 C. Structural and electrochemical analyses suggested that the introduction of a small amount of CuFeS₂ likely promoted interfacial interactions between FeS₂ and CuFeS₂ phases, reduced charge-transfer resistance, and enhanced pseudocapacitive contribution, while preserving the capacity advantage of the FeS₂ host phase. These results demonstrate that mineral-inspired compositional design is an effective strategy for improving the lithium-storage performance of sulfide anodes and provides a feasible route for developing electrode materials inspired by naturally coexisting sulfide minerals. Full article

As new energy vehicles and energy storage systems become more common, safety accidents caused by lithium-ion batteries overheating have become more of a concern. Early detection based on distinctive gases (such as H₂ and CO) can give an earlier warning than typical monitoring methods like temperature, voltage, or impedance. Nonetheless, attaining high-precision identification in intricate mixed-gas settings continues to be difficult because of the considerable cross-sensitivity of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors. This research presents an ISA-LSTM-TCN multi-task learning model utilizing an enhanced spatial attention mechanism for the swift identification and concentration forecasting of distinctive gases during lithium-ion battery thermal runaway. The model improves key feature extraction and anti-noise performance by combining the long-term temporal modeling ability of the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network with the multi-scale feature extraction ability of the Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN). It also adds an Improved Spatial Attention (ISA) module with a residual multiplication structure. Moreover, in a multi-task learning framework, joint optimization of gas categorization and concentration regression is facilitated using a hard parameter-sharing method. Tests using a built MOS sensor array dataset show that the model is 99.23% accurate at classifying gases and that the $R^2$ values for predicting H₂ and CO concentrations are 0.9510 and 0.8400, respectively. Tests on public datasets and in different noisy environments show that the model is even better at generalizing and is more robust. The results show that the suggested method allows for quick, accurate detection of thermal runaway gases. This makes it an effective and smart way to monitor battery safety warning systems. Full article

Metallic contamination is a critical manufacturing defect in lithium-ion batteries, but the degradation evolution and electrochemical signatures of Cu-contaminated cells remain insufficiently understood. In this study, Cu particles were intentionally introduced into graphite/NCM811 pouch cells to investigate Cu-induced internal short circuit, cycling degradation, and defect detection. The Cu-contaminated cells exhibit significantly higher initial self-discharge rates, indicating the formation of a cathode-to-anode type internal short circuit. X-ray microscopy and SEM/EDS characterization reveal local separator penetration, electrode deformation, Cu dissolution/migration/deposition, Al current collector dissolution, and deposit accumulation on the anode surface. After cycling, the Cu-contaminated cells showed accelerated capacity fade and increased direct current internal resistance, while their self-discharge rate gradually decreased, suggesting partial mitigation of the internal short circuit path. Incremental capacity analysis was used to evaluate the internal short circuit severity, while differential voltage analysis was further applied to distinguish a Cu-induced internal short circuit from normal aging. This work provides mechanistic insight into Cu-contamination-induced degradation and electrochemical signatures for identifying metallic-contamination defects in lithium-ion cells. Full article

The lithium battery recycling industry is developing rapidly, and the rapid oxidation and degradation of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in the wastewater generated by this industry is of crucial importance. In this study, Fe and Cu dopants were controlled and the C-SiO₂ framework with porous structures was constructed to synthesize FeCuC-SiO₂ and C-SiO₂ catalysts. The former could achieve 91.65% of DMC degradation within 60 min through peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation, and the degradation rate was increased to 4.44 times compared to C-SiO₂ without Fe and Cu doping. And under optimized conditions, a DMC degradation rate of 90.57% can be achieved within 10 min by FeCuC-SiO₂. The catalyst has good stability and the catalytic activity can be maintained during reuse process for five times with over 70% of DMC degradation rate, 58.9% of mineralization rate, and a relatively low amount of metal leaching. Moreover, the degradation rate can still remain above 70% with the existence of impurity anions, demonstrating a strong salt resistance. Hydroxyl radicals (OH^•), sulfate radicals (SO₄^•−), and ¹O₂ were found to dominant the reaction in the FeCuC-SiO₂-PMS system, which were involved in both free radical and non-free radical pathways and led to excellent catalytic oxidation performance and environmental adaptability. In general, a novel design for a Fenton-like catalyst was presented, providing a theoretical basis for the improvement of oxidation efficiency and the regulation of reaction pathways in Fenton-like reactions. Full article

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are emerging as a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their material sustainability and cost-effectiveness, helping address the high costs, supply limits, and environmental concerns associated with lithium. This paper reviews SIB materials, designs, and applications, and surveys their electrochemical performance, challenges, and future prospects. Recent advances in electrode materials (e.g., layered oxides, hard carbon composites, metallic alloys) are greatly improving SIB stability, conductivity, capacity, and cycle life. Improvements in both solid-state and liquid electrolytes have likewise enhanced ionic conductivity, capacity retention, thermal stability, and safety. Despite their lower energy density, SIBs tolerate wider temperature ranges and carry a significantly lower risk of thermal runaway compared to lithium-based systems, making them attractive for industrial, transportation, and large-scale power storage. Continuous progress in materials and cell engineering is narrowing the performance gap between SIBs and LIBs. Meanwhile, nascent battery recycling strategies for SIBs show promise for economic and environmental viability. Overall, SIBs represent a promising option for safer, more accessible, and more sustainable energy storage technology. Full article

Since the first successful synthesis of borophene in 2015, this atomically thin boron allotrope has attracted extensive attention due to its polymorphic structures, metallic conductivity, and outstanding mechanical flexibility. As a new member of the two-dimensional (2D) materials family, borophene exhibits a unique triangular lattice with tunable hexagonal vacancies, leading to rich structural diversity and anisotropic physical properties. Recent breakthroughs in synthesis—particularly molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and solvothermal-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation (S-LPE)—have significantly expanded the accessible structural phases and improved control over film quality and stability. Meanwhile, borophene’s distinctive combination of structural and electronic characteristics has enabled its rapid development in both energy and biomedical applications. In energy storage, borophene serves as a promising anode material for lithium/sodium-ion batteries and a lightweight medium for hydrogen storage and supercapacitors, owing to its metallic conductivity, high surface charge density, and large adsorption capacity. In biomedicine, borophene-based nanoplatforms exhibit excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, enabling multifunctional roles in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Despite these advances, several challenges—such as environmental instability, oxidation susceptibility, and limited scalable synthesis—continue to restrict practical implementation. Future progress will depend on chemical functionalization, surface passivation, and machine-learning-assisted materials design to achieve oxidation-resistant, large-area, and biocompatible borophene derivatives. This review summarizes recent advances in borophene synthesis, structural engineering, and multifunctional applications, while outlining key scientific challenges and future opportunities for the realization of borophene-based materials in next-generation energy and biomedical systems. Full article

Halide-based solid electrolytes have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation all-solid-state lithium metal batteries due to their high room-temperature ionic conductivity, wide electrochemical stability window, and favorable mechanical properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental structure–property relationships, Li⁺ transport mechanisms, and performance optimization strategies for Li₃MX₆-type halide solid electrolytes. The unique structural framework of halide electrolytes, characterized by close-packed anion sublattices (hexagonal close-packed and cubic close-packed) and edge-sharing [MX₆]³⁻ octahedral networks, establishes three-dimensional Li⁺ percolation pathways with low migration barriers (0.20–0.33 eV). This review concludes by identifying key challenges and future research directions, including high-entropy halide design, scalable aqueous synthesis methods, earth-abundant material alternatives, and integrated cell architectures that combine halide catholytes with complementary anolyte materials for practical all-solid-state battery applications. Full article

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are essential for achieving long-term stability and fast-charging performance in secondary batteries. Although Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ (LATP) offers high ionic conductivity, its practical application is restricted by high-temperature sintering requirements and interfacial reduction at the lithium anode. In contrast, Li-based oxide electrolytes can be sintered below 600 °C, offering improved compatibility with conventional electrodes such as graphite and silicon. In this study, a Li₂O–LiCl–B₂O₃–Al₂O₃ (LCBA)/LATP composite SSE was fabricated via hot-press co-sintering at 600 °C. Composites with LCBA:LATP weight ratios of 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 3:7, and 2:8 were prepared to identify the optimal composition. The 3:7 composite achieved a sintered density of 2.40 g/cm³ and an ionic conductivity of 2.5 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm. Phase evolution and sintering behavior were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compared to single-phase LCBA or LATP, the composite electrolyte exhibited improved interfacial stability and lower interfacial resistance against lithium metal. Full article

The low-pressure environment at aircraft cruising altitudes severely degrades lithium battery performance, yet the effectiveness and mechanisms of air-cooling thermal management under such conditions remain poorly understood. This study systematically investigates the coupled thermal, electrical, and material responses of NCM523/graphite ternary batteries under forced air-cooling at three pressures (96 kPa, 77 kPa, 58 kPa) and varying wind speeds (0–10 m/s) during 4C charge/6C discharge cycling. Air cooling reduces the maximum surface temperature by up to 14.2 °C and maintains the temperature difference below 5 °C, even at 58 kPa. An optimal wind speed of 6 m/s extends cycle life by 71% at 58 kPa (from 45 to 77 cycles), suppresses resistance growth, and preserves discharge capacity. Further increasing the wind speed paradoxically accelerates degradation. Post-mortem analyses reveal that appropriate air cooling mitigates cathode particle fragmentation, restores cation mixing (I₀₀₃/I₁₀₄ from 1.07 to 1.63 for 58 kPa), reduces transition metal dissolution, and suppresses solid electrolyte interface (SEI) thickening. This work establishes an optimum air velocity for low-pressure battery cooling and provides mechanistic insights into preserving electrode structural integrity, offering design guidelines for safe battery thermal management in electric aircraft. Full article

This study investigates the integration of nanofiltration (NF) and membrane distillation (MD) for the selective separation and recovery of critical metals from effluents generated by supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) of lithium-ion batteries. Beyond resource recovery, the proposed hybrid system addresses the urgent environmental challenge associated with highly contaminated battery recycling effluents, which pose severe risks to aquatic ecosystems if improperly managed. NF90 and NF270 membranes exhibited complementary behavior: NF90 achieved high rejection of Co, Ni, and Mn (>70%) with a minimum lithium rejection of 30%, whereas NF270 showed lower rejection of divalent metals (40%) and lower lithium rejection (<20% at pH = 7), along with a higher permeability. Subsequent MD enabled water recovery while concentrating lithium in the MD concentrate (brine), maintaining near-complete rejection of transition metals (>90%) and reducing the effluent conductivity by more than 85%. Surface characterization (SEM–EDS, AFM, BET, and contact angle) revealed fouling mechanisms and wettability loss, highlighting operational stability limitations. In this hybrid approach, nanofiltration enables the selective separation of lithium from transition metals, while membrane distillation promotes water recovery and concentrates lithium into a recoverable brine, with fouling and wetting defining the operational boundaries of the process. Overall, the results demonstrate that coupling SCWO with NF–MD represents a viable and scalable pathway for simultaneous effluent detoxification and lithium recovery, contributing to circular economy strategies and the sustainable management of battery-recycling wastewater. Full article