Citation: Afroze, S.; Reza, M.S.; Kuterbekov, K.; Kabyshev, A.; Kubenova, M.M.; Bekmyrza, K.Z.; Azad, A.K. Emerging and Recycling of Li-Ion Batteries to Aid in Energy Storage, A Review. Recycling 2023, 8, 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/ recycling8030048 Academic Editor: Sascha Nowak Received: 5 March 2023 Revised: 27 April 2023 Accepted: 28 April 2023 Published: 8 May 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). recycling Review Emerging and Recycling of Li-Ion Batteries to Aid in Energy Storage, A Review Shammya Afroze 1,2, * , Md Sumon Reza 3,4 , Kairat Kuterbekov 1 , Asset Kabyshev 1, *, Marzhan M. Kubenova 1 , Kenzhebatyr Z. Bekmyrza 1 and Abul K. Azad 2, * 1 Faculty of Physics and Technical Sciences, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, Kazakhstan 2 Faculty of Integrated Technologies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong BE1410, Brunei 3 Faculty of Natural Sciences, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, Kazakhstan 4 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, East West University, Jahurul Islam City, Aftabnagar, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh * Correspondence: shammya111@gmail.com (S.A.); kabyshev_am_1@enu.kz (A.K.); abul.azad@ubd.edu.bn (A.K.A.) Abstract: The global population has increased over time, therefore the need for sufficient energy has risen. However, many countries depend on nonrenewable resources for daily usage. Nonrenewable resources take years to produce and sources are limited for generations to come. Apart from that, storing and energy distribution from nonrenewable energy production has caused environmen- tal degradation over the years. Hence, many researchers have been actively participating in the development of energy storage devices for renewable resources using batteries. For this purpose, the lithium-ion battery is one of the best known storage devices due to its properties such as high power and high energy density in comparison with other conventional batteries. In addition, for the fabrication of Li-ion batteries, there are different types of cell designs including cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch cells. The development of Li-ion battery technology, the different widely used cathode and anode materials, and the benefits and drawbacks of each in relation to the most appropriate applica- tion were all thoroughly studied in this work. The electrochemical processes that underlie battery technologies were presented in detail and substantiated by current safety concerns regarding batteries. Furthermore, this review collected the most recent and current LIB recycling technologies and cov- ered the three main LIB recycling technologies. The three recycling techniques—pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, and direct recycling—have been the subject of intense research and development. The recovery of valuable metals is the primary goal of most recycling processes. The growth in the number of used LIBs creates a business opportunity to recover and recycle different battery parts as daily LIB consumption rises dramatically. Keywords: Li-ion battery (LIB); recycling; leaching; electrode; electrolyte; remanufacturing 1. Introduction Climate change is intimately tied to the potential for energy production and the demand for energy. There is currently a notable drive to progress renewable energy tech- nology in light of the enormous energy demand for the expansion of the economy and the excessive use of nonrenewable energy resources such as coal, oil, and fossil fuels [1,2]. Moreover, economic development has become more challenging because of the unsustain- able nature of nonrenewable energy resources [3,4]. This would result in a significant rise in environmental pollution, which will worsen existing issues including acid rain, ozone depletion, and global warming brought on by the atmospheric release of dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 )[5–7]. Solar cells [8], fuel cells [9–13], supercapacitors [14], and metal-based batteries are a few examples of clean and sustainable energy technologies that are so pervasive [15]. Recycling 2023, 8, 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling8030048 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/recycling