Renewed graphite for high-performance lithium-ion batteries: catalytic graphitization approach.

The widespread utilization of lithium-ion batteries has led to an increase in the quantity of decommissioned lithium-ion batteries. By incorporating recycled anode graphite into new lithium-ion batteries, we can effectively mitigate environmental pollution and meet the industry’s high demand for graphite. Herein, a suitable amount of ferric chloride hexahydrate was employed as a catalyst precursor to facilitate the low-temperature graphitization process of spent graphite. This resulted in renewed graphite with abundant pores, a high degree of graphitization (89.5%), and exceptional electrochemical properties. This material exhibits minimal polarization and impedance while maintaining a specific capacity of 376 mAh/g after 260 cycles at a rate of 0.5 C. While highlighting the remarkable attributes of recycled graphite, we also address the limitations associated with the catalytic graphitization method to provide researchers with comprehensive and unbiased insights. Ultimately, we believe that this method will play a pivotal role in recycling spent graphite with severely damaged structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]