Battery Powder as a Source of Novel Graphene Nanocarbons

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) waste is classified as a dangerous one. Fortunately, LIBs can be recycled and are already a valuable source of metals. This work is focused on the properties of the spent LIBs powder, which is a postproduct of the proposed organic leaching process and is presented as a source of nanocarbons with a unique structure. Furthermore, attention is paid to revealing the properties of the carbon component that can find a second life in other applications like photocatalysis or sorbents. Raman spectroscopy is used for the characterization of graphitic carbon. Scanning electron microscopy images are numerically quantitatively analyzed to provide additional parameters (for instance, the total length of edges) about the structure of materials, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) further check their composition.