A hydrometallurgical technique for efficiently reclaiming lithium and cobalt from used lithium-ion batteries was demonstrated by researchers from International Islamic University Malaysia.

Millions of Li-ion batteries are discarded annually worldwide.The process involves heating standard 48.8 Wh batteries at 700 C to calcinate Li, Co, and copper constituents and eliminate plastics and foams. Calcined materials are then treated with hydrochloric and sulfuric acids to leach out the metal ions. Li and Co were extracted with almost 50% and 25% efficiency, respectively.

These are considered practical extraction rates that would represent a potentially commercially feasible approach for recycling electrodes from these batteries. The leached metals could then be used in the manufacture of new batteries or for other applications. The contaminated liquid waste could be further treated to make it safe for disposal under recycling regulations.