Active material recovery method using positive electrode scrap

A method for recovering a positive electrode active material, comprising:

• (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 washed active material with the lithium precursor, and obtaining a reusable active material;
• and
• (d) optionally performing surface coating on the annealed active material,
• wherein the lithium precursor is added in an amount corresponding to a molar ratio of 0.09 to 0.12 of further added lithium with respect to the lithium component of 1:1 molar ratio of lithium to other metals in the positive electrode active material, and
• wherein an amount of a remaining lithium compound in the reusable active material is 0.0001 to 1.2 wt %.