As new energy vehicles, smartphones, and other products enter the phase of upgrading and replacement, a large number of spent lithium-ion batteries are generated. These carriers that once served "green energy", if treated merely as "waste" and discarded, will not only pose risks of heavy metal pollution but also waste high-value scarce resources such as cobalt and lithium. However, in the entire chain of spent lithium-ion battery recycling, "carbon-lithium-cobalt powder" obtained through crushing and sorting processes is the core to breaking this dilemma. It concentrates over 90% of the high-value components in batteries, serving as both the "conversion hub" for resource circulation and the "key to unlocking" the economic, ecological, and strategic value of spent lithium-ion batteries. Its importance becomes increasingly prominent with the upgrading of the recycling industry.
I. Core Functions of Carbon-Lithium-Cobalt Powder: The Conversion Hub for "Rebirthing" Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries
The value-unlocking capability of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder stems from its efficient integration of three major components: cobalt, lithium, and carbon. The recycling and reuse of each component corresponds to a key step in transforming spent lithium-ion batteries "from waste to utility":
1. Reconstructing Cathode Materials: The "Energy Cornerstone" for Reviving Core Battery Performance
Cathode materials are the "energy core" of lithium-ion batteries, and cobalt is the key active element of this "core". In lithium cobalt oxide and ternary cathode materials, the content of cobalt directly determines the charge-discharge efficiency and cycle life of batteries. The cobalt content in carbon-lithium-cobalt powder can be as high as 60% (e.g., in spent lithium cobalt oxide batteries). Through hydrometallurgical processes (leaching, purification, and cobalt precipitation), products such as cobalt sulfate and cobalt chloride with a purity of over 99.9% can be extracted. After processing via sintering, coating, and other procedures, these recycled cobalt salts can be remade into cathode materials. A new energy enterprise applied such recycled cathode materials in the production of power battery cathodes; tests showed that the capacity retention rate and rate performance of the recycled cathode materials differed by less than 5% from those of original materials, fully meeting the needs of mid-to-low-end power batteries and consumer electronics batteries, thus reviving the "energy core" of spent lithium-ion batteries.
2. Recycling Strategic Lithium Resources: The "Secondary Reserve" for Filling Lithium Supply Gaps
As the "strategic lifeline" of the new energy industry, globally exploitable lithium ore reserves are limited, and over 70% of China's lithium resources rely on imports. More than 80% of the lithium in spent lithium-ion batteries is concentrated in carbon-lithium-cobalt powder, which means carbon-lithium-cobalt powder has become a "movable lithium resource bank". Through processes such as acid leaching, extraction, and lithium precipitation, lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide can be extracted from carbon-lithium-cobalt powder. These products are not only core raw materials for new lithium-ion batteries but also applicable in aerospace, pharmaceutical synthesis, and other fields. Compared with primary lithium mining, lithium extraction from carbon-lithium-cobalt powder reduces energy consumption by 40% and carbon emissions by 60%, and is not restricted by geographical conditions, serving as a "stable supply line" to alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand of lithium resources in China.
3. Reusing Carbon-Based Materials: The "Unsung Hero" for Reducing Recycling Costs
Although the carbon components in carbon-lithium-cobalt powder (mainly from cathode conductive agents such as carbon black and graphite) have lower value than cobalt and lithium, they are crucial for reducing recycling costs. After high-temperature purification and surface modification, these carbon powders can be reused as conductive agents for lithium-ion batteries or processed into supercapacitor electrodes and adsorption materials for wastewater treatment. The practice of an environmental protection enterprise showed that the conductive agent made from purified carbon components in carbon-lithium-cobalt powder not only reduced the internal resistance of lithium-ion batteries by 12% but also saved 35% of the cost compared to purchasing new carbon black. When used for sewage adsorption, the adsorption rate of heavy metal ions reached over 92%, realizing the high-value utilization of "low-value components" and further improving the overall benefits of spent lithium-ion battery recycling.
II. Value Release of Carbon-Lithium-Cobalt Powder: The "Empowerment Lever" for Driving Multiple Fields
The value of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder is not limited to "material recycling"; it is more like a "lever" that drives the overall value upgrading of the spent lithium-ion battery recycling industry through three dimensions: resources, economy, and the environment:
1. Resource Value: The "Strategic Buffer" for Ensuring Industrial Chain Security
The scarcity and uneven distribution of cobalt and lithium have long been "pain points" in China's new energy industrial chain. Over 80% of global cobalt resources are concentrated in politically unstable regions such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the mining cycle of high-quality lithium ore lasts 5-8 years, making it difficult to quickly respond to market demand. The recycling and reuse of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder provides "flexible resource supplementation" for the industrial chain: for every 10,000 tons of spent lithium-ion batteries processed, approximately 1,000 tons of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder can be recovered, from which 150-200 tons of cobalt and 80-100 tons of lithium can be extracted—equivalent to reducing the mining of 200,000 tons of cobalt ore and 500,000 tons of lithium ore. This not only reduces China's dependence on overseas mineral resources but also provides stable "secondary raw materials" for lithium-ion battery production when the supply of primary resources fluctuates, serving as a "strategic buffer" for industrial chain security.
2. Economic Value: The "Core Engine" for Activating the 100-Billion-Yuan Recycling Market
The high-value nature of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder has directly promoted the commercialization of the spent lithium-ion battery recycling industry. From the cost perspective, the production cost of recycled cobalt is approximately $20,000 per ton, 40% lower than that of primary cobalt; the cost of recycled lithium is 30% lower than that of primary lithium, significantly reducing the raw material costs of lithium-ion batteries. From the industrial perspective, a complete industrial chain has been formed around carbon-lithium-cobalt powder: upstream, there are spent battery recycling enterprises responsible for collecting raw materials; midstream, there are technology enterprises focusing on the extraction and purification of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder; downstream, it connects cathode material factories, battery manufacturers, and even extends to fields such as glass ceramics and pharmaceuticals. According to industry statistics, in 2024, the revenue of China's carbon-lithium-cobalt powder-related recycling industry exceeded 20 billion yuan, driving over 100,000 jobs in the upstream and downstream sectors. It has become one of the fastest-growing segments in the new energy industry, activating a 100-billion-yuan spent battery recycling market.
3. Environmental Value: The "Green Driver" for Supporting the "Dual Carbon" Goals
Improper disposal of spent lithium-ion batteries causes dual harm to the environment: direct landfilling leads to the infiltration of heavy metals such as cobalt and nickel into soil and groundwater, while incineration releases toxic gases such as fluorides. The mining and smelting of primary cobalt and lithium ores generate 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 20 tons of tailings per ton of primary cobalt produced. The recycling and reuse of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder cuts off this pollution chain at the source: on the one hand, it avoids the environmental harm of spent lithium-ion batteries; on the other hand, replacing part of primary metals with recycled metals significantly reduces the environmental pressure of mineral development. Calculations show that for every 10,000 tons of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder recycled, 80,000 tons of solid waste emissions can be reduced, and 120,000 tons of carbon emissions can be cut—equivalent to the annual carbon sequestration of 400,000 trees, providing a practical implementation path for China to achieve the "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" goals.
Conclusion
Carbon-lithium-cobalt powder may only be an "intermediate product" in the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries, but it undertakes the crucial mission of unlocking the full-life-cycle value of spent batteries. It transforms "waste" from a burden into a recyclable "resource treasure" and turns the recycling industry from a "public welfare initiative" into a profitable "sunrise industry". With the intelligent upgrading of purification technologies (such as AI-controlled leaching processes and microwave-assisted purification), the resource utilization rate of carbon-lithium-cobalt powder will be further improved in the future. Its role in resource circulation, industrial empowerment, and ecological protection will become even more prominent, making it a core force for promoting the "green closed-loop" development of the new energy industry.
