What distinguishes pyrometallurgy from hydrometallurgy in the context of battery recycling?

Pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy are two different methods for recycling batteries, distinguished by their core processes: pyrometallurgy uses high-temperature smelting, while hydrometallurgy employs chemical leaching in aqueous solutions. In pyrometallurgy, batteries are heated to high temperatures in a furnace, causing the materials to melt and separate into different layers. This process primarily recovers valuable metals like cobalt, nickel, and copper, which are collected as a metal alloy. Lithium ....