Separating Lithium Iron Phosphate and Graphite: A New Way with Dielectrophoresis

Recycling old lithium-ion batteries is a big deal these days. Current methods use a lot of energy and money, and they can be bad for the environment. This study suggests a new, eco-friendly way to separate important battery parts, like lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and graphite. The key is their differing polarizability. A special tool called a microparticle separator was made to separate these materials quickly and continuously. Scientists also made a model to predict how these tiny particles move in electric and flow fields. They tested their ideas with simulations and experiments, showing that separation efficiency could be over 80% with a stream flow of 10. 8 mL/min at 100V. They also looked at how changing things like voltage, flow rate, and sheath-to-feed ratio affected the separation. Plus, they thought about using this separator for other battery materials. So, this study lays the groundwork for better, more sustainable battery recycling.