As global society moves away from conventional fossil-based energy sources and towards greater electrification, the 

amount of waste lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) generated is only going to increase. This waste needs effective management 

and treatment to ensure that, at the very least, environmental damage and safety concerns can be minimized. Beyond 

this, ensuring that the critical materials can be recovered and recycled is an opportunity that should not be wasted. 

Here we present an experimentally verified proof-of-concept flowsheet for the dissolution of LIB cathode material, and 

subsequent separation of the dissolved metals using solvometallurgical methods. Leaching efficiencies of up to 100% 

for LiNi0.33Co0.33Mn0.33O2 into the deep eutectic solvent (DES) choline chloride – ethylene glycol are possible using a 

novel electrochemical method. Non-aqueous solvent extraction was used to selectively separate the Co and Mn using 

Aliquat 336, followed by aqueous stripping. Manganese can be selectively recovered from the strip solution using bis-

(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid dissolved in heptane. Final routes for the recovery of products used in battery cathode production

are discussed based on verified literature and commercial methods, with recovery as Li2CO3, Ni(OH)2, Mn(OH)2, 

and Co(OH)2 proposed. A presented proof-of-concept flowsheet shows the potential of the described novel dissolution 

technique, green solvents, and solvometallurgy for use in battery cathode recycling.