A Comprehensive Comparison for Battery Cathode Leaching Processes

With the increasing demand for electric vehicles, battery recycling is becoming a critical topic for reducing the environmental impact of spent batteries. This work provides a comprehensive comparison of cathode leaching processes for LCO, NMC, and LFP chemistries within hydrometallurgical recycling using life cycle assessment. Different leaching routes employing various acids, temperatures, and reaction times are evaluated by combining their environmental impacts with the recycling rates of all valuable metals. A composite score is defined to capture both impact and recovery performance, enabling systematic ranking of candidate processes. The analysis identifies, for each cathode chemistry, the leaching conditions that best balance high metal recovery with low environmental burden, offering actionable guidance for selecting industrial hydrometallurgical recycling processes.