Research Progress on Prior Lithium Extraction from Spent Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials via Pyrometallurgical Roasting

The extensive application of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in electronic devices, electric vehicles, and related applications has significantly enhanced the quality of spent LIBs. As a critical component of LIBs, cathode materials contain substantial amounts of valuable metals (e.g., lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese), and their efficient recovery offers significant environmental and economic advantages. Owing to its simple operating conditions, effective impurity removal, and high reaction efficiency, pyrometallurgical roasting has become an important approach for recycling spent LIB cathode materials. This review focuses on pyrometallurgical roasting technologies for prior lithium extraction from spent LIB cathodes. By examining the structural characteristics of different cathode materials and their property variations during recycling, the fundamental principles and characteristics of pyrometallurgical roasting are clarified. The applications of roasting-based prior lithium extraction in LIB recycling are systematically reviewed, covering conventional processes, emerging high-efficiency roasting routes, and other advanced strategies for prior lithium extraction. Finally, the development trends of pyrometallurgical roasting technologies for spent LIB cathode materials are discussed, with the objectives of supporting technological advancement in LIB recycling and facilitating the establishment of a more sustainable development framework for the battery industry.