Toward Sustainable Spent Cathode Recycling Technology: Failure Mechanism, Advancing Technology and Prospect

ABSTRACT The cathode materials from spent batteries are expected to become a resource stream rich in critical metals, drawing increasing attention to the disposal and recycling of spent lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, due to current technological limitations, the recycling efficiency and environmental sustainability of LIBs still face significant challenges. Thus, a comprehensive review of the failure mechanism, advanced recycling technology and prospect of recycling spent cathode in LIBs is provided. It firstly analyzed failure mechanism of various cathode materials, which is the cornerstone of customizing recycling process. This is followed by a comprehensive examination of recent advances in recycling technology, which includes both conventional approaches and novel direct recycling methodologies. A series of forward‐looking recommendations aimed at optimizing recycling processes are underscored in conclusion, with the ultimate goal of guiding future recycling technology toward large‐scale industrialization, contributing to green and sustainable development in battery technology.