Exploring the Methodology of Delamination of Layers of Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Systematic Literature Review.

Mohammed Altaey; Ziad Shakeeb AlSarraf

doi:10.71229/14523n15

Authors

Mohammed Jameel Abeed Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mosul, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5815-6012
Ziad Shakeeb AlSarraf Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mosul, Iraq.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71229/14523n15

Keywords:

Lithium-ion battery recycling;, ultrasonic delamination;, transient cavitation;, binder degradation; , direct regeneration;, sustainable metallurgy;

Abstract

The rapid global adoption of electric vehicles has catalyzed an urgent demand for sustainable, efficient, and low-carbon recycling methodologies to recover critical metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Conventional pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical recycling routes are severely constrained by high thermal energy demands, toxic chemical secondary pollution, and structural degradation of active materials. Ultrasonic-assisted delamination has emerged as a high-efficiency, eco-friendly physical separation alternative. However, existing literature remains fragmented regarding the precise operational interplay between acoustic parameters and chemical binder architectures.

This systematic literature review (SLR) rigorously synthesizes 32 peer-reviewed studies (2001–2025) adhering to the PRISMA 2020 framework to critically analyses ultrasonic delamination mechanisms, process efficiency, and technical feasibility. Bibliometric and thematic analysis reveals that ultrasonic-based techniques dominate recent recycling advancements (54.3%), outperforming conventional hydrometallurgical (20.0%) and mechanical (14.3%) approaches.

The synthesis demonstrates that standalone ultrasonic transient cavitation achieves >99\% material recovery within seconds when applied to water-soluble binders (e.g., sodium alginate, gelatin). Conversely, resistant fluorinated binder matrices (such as PVDF) necessitate hybrid thermo-ultrasonic, solvothermal, or bio-hydrometallurgical routes to achieve complete binder degradation without inducing micro-fractures in aluminum foil collectors. Finally, critical technical bottlenecks are identified, including reactor scaling attenuation and energy consumption, and an integrated framework for closed-loop, multi-frequency acoustic recycling systems is proposed

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