Work

Co-upcycling spent lithium-ion batteries and plastics into microwave absorbing materials with Ni-Co catalyst control

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Co-upcycling plastics with lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers a promising high-value approach; however, it is hindered by the challenge of poisoning metal catalysts by carbon deposition and the uncontrollable particle growth. Here, we propose a co-upcycling strategy to convert spent LiNi x Co y Mn 1−x−y O 2 (NCM) and binary plastics—polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other plastics—into NiCoMnO x /CNTs composites (or materials) for microwave absorbing. During the pyrolysis, the generated pyrolysis gas reduces the NCM to NiCoMnO x and Li 2 CO 3 , and the NiCoMnO x catalyzes the decomposition of pyrolysis gas to generate CNTs. Importantly, Li 2 CO 3 suppresses the growth of NiCo particles to below 100 nm and PET as both an etching agent and a carbon source, achieving a carbon conversion rate of 33% while preventing NiCoMnO x poisoning. After heat treatment at 800°C, the resulting material exhibits favorable microwave absorption with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL < − 10 dB) of 7.01 GHz at 2.41 mm. Life cycle analysis (LCA) shows that this strategy has obvious environmental benefits. Overall, PET is a general enabler to prepare (Ni x Co y )MnO/CNTs microwave-absorbing materials harnessing carbon from binary plastics and critical metals from battery materials, providing a sustainable solution for upcycling spent LIBs and plastic wastes.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69501-1