Active material recovery method using positive electrode scrap

Abstract

A method of recovering an active material from a positive electrode scrap and reusing the active material is provided. The method includes (a) heat treating a positive electrode scrap including a positive electrode active material layer on a current collector in air to thermally decompose a binder and a conductive material in the positive electrode active material layer, separating the current collector from the positive electrode active material layer, and recovering an active material in the positive electrode active material layer, wherein the active material comprises a lithium composite transition metal oxide; (b) washing the recovered active material with a cleaning solution; (c) adding a lithium precursor to the washed active material and annealing the active material; and (d) optionally performing surface coating on the annealed active material and obtaining a reusable active material, wherein an amount of the lithium precursor added in step (c) is determined so that an amount of a remaining lithium compound in the reusable active material is 0.0001 to 1.2 wt %.