Professor Xi Chen’s Collaborative Research on Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Published in Nature Communications
Assistant Professor Xi Chen from the School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), recently co-authored a research article published in Nature Communications titled “Life cycle comparison of industrial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling and mining supply chains.” Professor Chen served as both a co-corresponding author and co-first author in collaboration with Professor William A. Tarpeh from Stanford University.
With the rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) and the increasing retirement of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), recycling used LIBs to recover critical metals has become essential for ensuring a more sustainable battery supply chain. In this study, Professor Chen and his team partnered with Redwood Materials, a pioneering U.S. battery recycling company, to conduct the first-ever analysis of industrial-scale LIB recycling and compare it to conventional mining-based supply chains.
The research quantified the environmental impact of large-scale LIB recycling and found that this process emits less than half the greenhouse gases (GHGs) compared to traditional mining and metal refinement. Additionally, LIB recycling consumes only about one-fourth of the water and energy required for mining new metals. The study also identified electricity input as a major contributor to environmental impact in circular LIB refinement, while upstream processes such as extraction and transport had only a marginal effect on the overall supply chain.
The article was prominently featured in the Stanford Report and on the Stanford School of Engineering’s website. It was also covered by Bloomberg, highlighting its significance in the field.
At CityUHK, Professor Xi Chen’s research focuses on innovative separation technologies for sustainable LIB recycling at various levels. This work exemplifies the impact of academia-industry collaboration and lays the groundwork for a deeper understanding of efficient LIB recycling. Professor Chen’s group is now developing novel membrane technologies to enhance LIB recycling efficiency and advancing molecular-level insights into ion transport phenomena for sustainable battery manufacturing.
Article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56063-x
Stanford Report: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/01/recycling-lithium-ion-batteries-cuts-emissions-and-strengthens-supply-chain
Stanford Engineering: https://engineering.stanford.edu/news/recycling-lithium-ion-batteries-delivers-significant-environmental-benefits
