Battery Recycling and Second-Life Innovations

The rapid expansion of electric vehicles and consumer electronics has driven an unprecedented surge in battery deployment, making end-of-life battery management an urgent global priority. Conventional pyrometallurgical methods remain energy-intensive with poor lithium recovery, while standard hydrometallurgical routes consume excessive chemical reagents. Overcoming these limitations requires a mechanistic understanding of materials degradation and targeted electrochemical recovery.Emerging approaches—such as electrochemical separation, direct cathode regeneration, and selective leaching—offer viable, low-carbon pathways to recover critical metals (Li, Ni, Co) and recondition spent materials. This Research Topic unites advances in metallurgy, electrochemistry, and materials science to establish scalable, closed-loop recycling and second-life strategies.We welcome Original Research, Reviews, and Perspectives focusing on:- Advanced Hydrometallurgy: selective leaching and extraction routes targeting critical metals.- Electrochemical Recycling and Regeneration: electrochemical approaches for the recycling or regeneration of electrode materials.- Selective Separation: tailored adsorbents, functional solvents, and targeted precipitation for selective metal separation from complex leachates.- Materials Characterization: advanced analytical methods tracking phase transitions, impurity profiles, and recovered material purity.- Second-Life & Repurposing: repurposing spent batteries, state-of-health assessment, and performance and safety validation for second-life applications. Topic editors: Jinsong Xia, Shiyu Li Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85985/battery-recycling-and-second-life-innovations