CAPACITY AND SECOND-LIFE POTENTIAL OF LITHIUM-ION CELLS RECOVERED FROM DISPOSABLE E-CIGARETTES FOR DISTRIBUTED MICRO-ENERGY STORAGE

Abstract

The widespread adoption of disposable electronic cigarettes has created a rapidly growing waste stream containing embedded lithium-ion batteries. In most cases, these batteries are discarded together with the device once the e-liquid reservoir is depleted, despite the possibility that the electrochemical lifetime of the cell significantly exceeds the functional lifetime of the product. This study investigates the residual capacity and reuse potential of lithium-ion cells recovered from discarded disposable e-cigarettes and evaluates their potential relevance for distributed micro-energy storage applications.

A total of 115 lithium-ion cells were collected from used devices and  classified by their standardized cylindrical cell format (e.g., 13300, 14500). Following visual inspection and voltage screening, 102 cells were tested using a standardized constant-current charge-discharge protocol at 0.2C (C-rate) within the voltage range of 4.2-3.0 V. The experimental results show that 87.3% of the tested cells retained more than 85% of their nominal capacity, with an average remaining capacity of 89.8%. Only 3.9% of the tested cells exhibited a remaining capacity below 70%.

These results indicate that a considerable share of lithium-ion batteries discarded with disposable consumer electronics remain technically functional and could be repurposed in low-power applications such as IoT devices, educational platforms, and small distributed storage modules. The findings highlight the importance of systematic collection, classification and diagnostic approaches for small-format lithium-ion batteries in order to support circular economy principles and reduce unnecessary loss of critical battery materials.