Preparation and Electrochemical Performance of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 Cathode Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries from Spent Mixed Alkaline Batteries

LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries were successfully re-synthesized using mixed spent alkaline zinc-manganese batteries and spent lithium-ion batteries as the raw materials. These materials were synthesized by using a combination of dissolution, co-precipitation, calcination, battery preparation, and battery charge–discharge processes. The phase composition, morphology, and electrochemical performance of the products were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, infrared spectra, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy, and charge–discharge measurements. The results showed that LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode materials could be successfully re-synthesized at optimal preparation conditions of: co-precipitation, pH value of 8, calcination temperature of 850°C, and calcination time of 10 h. Furthermore, the electrochemical results showed that the re-synthesized sample could deliver an initial discharge capacity of up to 160.2 mAh g−1 and Coulomb efficiency of 99.8%.