WPI Professor Yan Wang Publishes Article on Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling in the inaugural Nature Reviews Clean Technology
Department(s):
Marketing Communications
Yan Wang, William B. Smith Foundation Dean’s Professor of Mechanical & Materials Engineering and a widely regarded expert in lithium-ion battery recycling, has published a review article in the inaugural issue of Nature Reviews Clean Technology. The article focuses on the increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries, driven by the rising use of electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems, and the urgent need for efficient recycling strategies.
The article provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of lithium-ion battery recycling, highlighting both established and emerging technologies. It also explores innovative developments in recycling, such as direct recycling and upcycling, which focus on improving the efficiency of recycling processes through advanced pretreatment methods, automated disassembly, and cleaner mechanical separation.
“The scope of materials recovered from spent lithium-ion batteries is broadening,” says Wang. “While traditional methods focus on cathode materials, newer techniques are extending to anode materials, electrolytes, binders, separators, and current collectors.”
Wang emphasizes that creating an efficient recycling ecosystem will require close collaboration between recyclers, battery manufacturers, electric vehicle producers, and others. Such partnerships are essential for designing automated battery disassembly lines, which in turn are crucial for sustainable battery recycling.
The article, along with the entire first issue of Nature Reviews Clean Technology, can be accessed for free throughout 2025.