After waste lithium batteries are crushed and sorted, if no medium- or high-temperature pyrolysis process is applied, the separator will be separated as an independent fraction. So, how should these separated separators be treated next?
If the separator is obtained after a low-temperature volatilization process, the solvent in the electrolyte is evaporated and removed, the solid residues of decomposed electrolytes enter the black powder, and the gases mix with volatilized solvent vapors for tail gas treatment. When the temperature is slightly higher, part of the separator also decomposes. Separators separated by cyclone gravity sorting may adsorb a small amount of black powder, while the lithium residue on the battery separator remains relatively high, being separated together with the separator. Under such conditions, the black powder recovery rate is more than 20% lower than that achieved through medium- or high-temperature pyrolysis processes, and the control of water-soluble fluorine and total organic carbon (TOC) is generally weaker.
If the separator has not undergone any thermal treatment, during cyclone gravity sorting, the separator will still carry residual lithium, adhered electrolyte, and more black powder. As a result, the black powder recovery rate will be even lower than that of the low-temperature volatilization process, and both water-soluble fluorine and total carbon content will become difficult to control.
If these separators are to be recycled as plastic materials, many have already aged, cross-linked, or carbonized, making them unsuitable for material recycling. Moreover, wastewater from cleaning would contain a large amount of water-soluble fluoride and organic carbon. Although the resulting sludge may contain valuable metals such as lithium and nickel, the environmental cost of treatment far exceeds the potential revenue from metal recovery.
Based on their composition and characteristics, these separators are easily classified as hazardous waste. If treated as hazardous waste, there would be no resource recovery revenue, and disposal costs could reach 2,000–3,000 RMB per ton. If considered as general solid waste, municipal incineration plants and landfills would usually refuse to accept them due to their complex chemical nature and potential hazards.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended to send these separators to lithium battery recycling lines equipped with medium- or high-temperature pyrolysis technology. This approach not only ensures the efficient recovery of valuable metals, but also enables environmentally safe control of harmful substances such as fluorides and dioxins, achieving a balance between harmlessness, reduction, and resource recovery.
In this field, PEAKS-ECO has built a comprehensive processing system based on its extensive experience in lithium battery recycling. The company excels particularly in high-temperature pyrolysis technology, which effectively handles complex components, achieves high-value metal enrichment and recovery, and strictly controls harmful substances like fluorides. This ensures that the entire recycling process upholds both environmental safety and resource efficiency, providing reliable technical support for the full life-cycle management of lithium batteries.
In summary, PEAKS-ECO, with its strengths in equipment innovation and industrial ecosystem development, has become a key driving force in promoting sustainable lithium battery resource recovery and advancing the new energy industry.
