Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Open Access Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Chemical Engineering
Advisor 1
Lei Pan
Committee Member 1
Timothy Eisele
Committee Member 2
Maria Gencoglu
Abstract
The recycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) requires efficient separation of electrode components to recover valuable materials and reduce environmental impact. This work explores oil agglomeration as a selective method for binder (PVDF) and graphite recovery from spent LIB electrodes. Experiments were conducted on cathode-binder and anode-cathode systems, with emphasis on the effects of grinding time, oil dosage, and mixing intensity.
Results show that particle liberation is essential for effective separation. Extended attrition grinding (≥60 minutes) significantly improved both grade and recovery of hydrophobic components in the oil phase. In cathode-binder separation, excessive oil volume reduced selectivity, while high-shear mixing enhanced both purity and recovery of PVDF. The control experiment without grinding demonstrated very poor separation, confirming the importance of liberation. In anode-cathode separation, finer grinding similarly produced efficient hydrophobic agglomeration of graphite, while hydrophilic NMC materials remained in the aqueous phase.
Overall, the study demonstrates that oil agglomeration is a promising technique for LIB recycling, exploiting differences in surface chemistry to achieve selective recovery when combined with adequate mechanical pretreatment and optimized process parameters.
Recommended Citation
Sewoekpor, John K., "OIL AGGLOMERATION AS A METHOD FOR SEPARATION OF MIXED MATERIALS FROM SPENT LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES", Open Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2026.