Low-cost Preparation of High-performance Polyimide Separators: High-value Application of Recycled Polyimide Films

Ying-Hua Sha; Zi-Hao Huang; Jia-Shu Lin; Yan-Wei He; Chu-Ying Li; Hai-Tao Huang; Si-Wei Liu; Yi Zhang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3730-6

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Low-cost Preparation of High-performance Polyimide Separators: High-value Application of Recycled Polyimide Films

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-09-23

- Low-cost Preparation of High-performance Polyimide Separators: High-value Application of Recycled Polyimide Films
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 10, Pages: 3387-3397(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.PCFM Lab, GD HPPC Lab, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre for High-performance Organic and Polymer Photoelectric Functional Films, GBRCE for Functional Molecular Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry, IGCME, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
  b.Key Laboratory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutions of Northeast Guangdong New Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Environment, Jiaying University, Meizhou 514015, China
  c.Wuxi Shunxuan New Materials Co., Ltd., Wuxi 214037, China
- Author bio：
  
  huanght36@mail2.sysu.edu.cn (H.T.H.)
  liusiw@mail.sysu.edu.cn (S.W.L.)
  ceszy@mail.sysu.edu.cn (Y.Z.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3730-6
  CLC：
- Received：11 May 2026，
  
  Accepted：26 May 2026，
  
  Online First：01 September 2026，
  
  Published：05 October 2026
- Accepted：
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Sha, Y. H.; Huang, Z. H.; Lin, J. S.; He, Y. W.; Li, C. Y.; Huang, H. T.; Liu, S. W.; Zhang, Y. Low-cost preparation of high-performance polyimide separators: high-value application of recycled polyimide films. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 3387–3397

Ying-Hua Sha, Zi-Hao Huang, Jia-Shu Lin, et al. Low-cost Preparation of High-performance Polyimide Separators: High-value Application of Recycled Polyimide Films[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(10): 3387-3397.
Sha, Y. H.; Huang, Z. H.; Lin, J. S.; He, Y. W.; Li, C. Y.; Huang, H. T.; Liu, S. W.; Zhang, Y. Low-cost preparation of high-performance polyimide separators: high-value application of recycled polyimide films. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 3387–3397 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3730-6.

Ying-Hua Sha, Zi-Hao Huang, Jia-Shu Lin, et al. Low-cost Preparation of High-performance Polyimide Separators: High-value Application of Recycled Polyimide Films[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(10): 3387-3397. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3730-6.

摘要

Lithium hydroxide catalyses the partial ring-opening of imide groups in waste polyimide (PI) films

yielding a soluble poly(amic acid) (PAA)-PI precursor

and electrospun into separators

enabling high value application of recycled PI films.

Abstract

With growing global focus on plastic circular recycling and sustainable development

chemical upcycling is gaining importance. It converts waste plastics into high-value products

avoiding the performance degradation and downcycling associated with conventional physical recycling processes. Polyimide (PI) is a high-performance polymer material

particularly valued in the field of lithium-ion batteries as a separator due to its high-temperature resistance

favorable mechanical strength

and good electrolyte wettability. However

its broader application has been limited by the high cost of its monomers and the energy consumption of its preparation process compared to conventional lithium-ion battery separators such as polyethylene/polypropylene. Here

we propose an effective strategy for the high-value application of recycled polyimide (PMDA/ODA-type) films through chemical catalysis: using lithium hydroxide to catalyze the partial ring-opening of the imide rings in recycled polyimide

transforming the insoluble and infusible recycled polyimide into a soluble poly(amic acid)-polyimide system (PAA-PI). This system is further processed

via

lectrospinning to fabricate polyimide nanofiber membranes

which are applied as separators in lithium-ion batteries. They exhibit similar structural

thermal properties

and mechanical properties to the PI separators prepared by the traditional method

while also possessing good porosity

electrolyte wettability

and electrolyte uptake. Furthermore

batteries prepared using this recovered PI separator (RPI) exhibit excellent high-rate performance (135.55 mAh·g

–1

at 5 C current) and long-term cycle stability (118.01 mAh·g

–1

after 100 cycles at 0.5 C current

and 87.10 mAh·g

–1

after 100 cycles at 2.0 C current)

showing no significant difference compared to batteries prepared with conventional PI separators

while outperforming batteries prepared with commercial Celgard 2500 separators

essentially meeting the performance requirements of next-generation lithium-ion batteries. This work presents a strategy for the low-cost production of high-safety polyimide-based separators in lithium-ion batteries

enabling the high-value reuse of polyimide waste and thereby establishing a process consistent with green chemistry and sustainable development.

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