Aluminium composite material and process of preparing the same

A process for preparing an aluminum composite material comprising

• a) providing an intermediate lithium ion battery recycling material comprising an aluminum foil and a cathode active material (CAM) and having an average particle diameter (D50), determined by laser light scattering, in the range of from 1 μm to 500 μm at a first temperature ranging from −10° C. to 50° C.;
• b) heating the intermediate lithium ion battery recycling material at a second temperature ranging from 400° C. to 630° C.;
• c) contacting the intermediate lithium ion battery recycling material with a gas comprising less than 1 volume % oxygen and comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a combustible gas, a reductive gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), and an inert gas to obtain the aluminum composite material;
• and
• d) optionally, subsequently cooling the aluminum composite material to a third temperature ranging from 10° C. to 100° C.