New method pulls battery-ready lithium hydroxide from dead cells

Researchers at Rice University have developed a novel, cleaner method to recycle lithium from spent electric vehicle batteries by mimicking the battery charging process. Instead of relying on traditional recycling techniques involving heat, smelting, or harsh chemicals that produce lithium carbonate requiring further conversion, their electrochemical reactor directly extracts lithium ions from battery waste cathodes into water. This process forms high-purity lithium hydroxide—the form needed by battery manufacturers—without additional chemical inputs. The system uses a cation-exchange membrane and water electrolysis to generate hydroxide ions, combining with lithium ions to yield battery-ready lithium hydroxide with over 99% purity and nearly 90% lithium recovery. The method demonstrated significant energy efficiency, consuming as little as 103 kilojoules per kilogram of waste, about ten times less than common acid-leaching methods. The team validated the technology with a 1,000-hour durability test and successfully processed industrial battery black mass from TotalEnergies. It also showed versatility by handling various cathode