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# English Translation (Sample Section for JCP Submission)

Title: Current Status and Challenges of Spent Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling in China's New Energy Vehicle Industry

Abstract (translated excerpt)

China's rapidly expanding new energy vehicle (NEV) market has generated a growing volume of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), with projections indicating approximately 780,000 tonnes of retired power batteries by 2025. This review synthesizes recent advances in hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical recovery of critical metals—lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese—from spent NCM (nickel–cobalt–manganese) and LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries.

1. Introduction

The proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) under China's "Dual Carbon" goals has accelerated battery retirement cycles. According to the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance, retired traction batteries reached 290,000 tonnes in 2023, yet the formal recycling rate remained below 40%, with substantial volumes entering informal channels ("gray markets"), posing environmental and resource-security risks.

2. Recycling Technologies

Hydrometallurgical routes dominate China's industrial practice, typically involving discharge, dismantling, and leaching with H₂SO₄–H₂O₂ systems, achieving Li recovery rates of 90–95% and Co/Ni recovery exceeding 98%. Recent studies demonstrate selective leaching using organic acids (e.g., citric acid) to reduce secondary pollution.

Direct regeneration of cathode materials (e.g., relithiation of LiFePO₄ via solid-state sintering) offers lower energy c