Influence of Deep-Discharge Rate on Recycle Process of High Energy Density Traction Batteries

Abstract

Lithium-ion traction batteries are increasingly used in transportation, such as electric vehicles and buses. To reduce the life cycle cost of traction batteries, material recycling is a technical route that must be considered. Deep discharge is one of the necessary steps in battery disassembly and material recycle

however, the thermal stability and internal material changes caused by deep discharge can affect the subsequent recycling processes. In this paper, we study the influence of deep-discharge rate on the recycling process of a commercial traction battery with LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode and a graphite anode. Combine with multi-analysis methods, we systematically explored the evolution of an electrode structure under different deep-discharge current densities. Our results show that the deep-discharge current density has different effects on the internal structure of the battery and may affect its thermal safety.