Microrecycling of Batteries and Carbon-Containing Waste for Manufacturing Different Materials

The rapidly growing demand for efficient energy storage systems—driven by the expansion of electronics, electric vehicles, electric transportation, and grid storage—is fueling both the surge in battery production and the accumulation of spent batteries after their service life. Currently, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries dominate the market because of their high energy efficiency and power density. However, sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries are increasingly being considered as a viable alternative, given the limited availability of lithium and the abundance of sodium. Among the components of a battery, graphite has been widely used as the anode material in Li-ion batteries. However, it fails to deliver satisfactory performance in Na-ion batteries. Moreover, the soaring demand for graphite has led to its classification as a critical mineral. Consequently, identifying alternative carbon sources suitable for use as anodes in both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries has become a matter of paramount importance. In this context, carbon from carbon-containing waste has emerged as a promising alternative. Each year, thousands of tons of waste rubber, automotive shredder residue (ASR), and waste plastics (e.g., polycarbonate) are generated, yet only a small fraction of these carbon-containing wastes is recycled—most end up in landfills, contributing to environmental pollution. This thesis explores the microrecycling of such carbon-containing waste through a single-step selective microrecycling technique and evaluates the potential of the resulting carbon material as an anode material for both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. In addition, the increasing volume of end-of-life batteries—such as lithium-ion (Li-ion), nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH), and alkaline batteries—presents a huge challenge for both environmental sustainability and resource recovery. These spent batteries contain a wealth of valuable metals, including nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), aluminium (Al), and zinc (Zn), which are primarily concentrated in the black mass in their oxide forms. This thesis explores an innovative approach to recovering these metals through in-situ carbothermic reduction. By utilizing the graphite inherently present in the black mass of spent Li-ion batteries as a reductant, the process facilitates the transformation of metal oxides into alloy, offering a sustainable and efficient pathway for metal recovery. In summary, this thesis presents a state-of-the-art microrecycling approach for transforming carbon-containing and battery waste into different materials, thereby contributing to material, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Grantor dc:publisher

UNSW, Sydney

Year dc:date

2026

Author dc:creator

• Sarkar, Montajar

Statement dc:rights

• embargoed access
• CC BY 4.0

Licence

• http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_f1cf
• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/32039

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:unsworks.library.unsw.edu.au:1959.4/107062