Yaocai Bai

Bio

Yaocai Bai is an R&D Associate Staff Scientist within the Emerging and Solid-State Batteries Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Yaocai’s research focuses on accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy through materials innovation and developing sustainable processes for lithium-ion battery recycling. In particular, he is interested in lithium-ion battery recycling and catalyst development for metal-air batteries and water splitting. Yaocai has extensive research experience in materials synthesis, energy conversion and storage, and battery recycling, in which he has published ~60 peer-reviewed journal articles and holds eight patent applications with three granted. 

Awards

• UT-Battelle Outstanding Research Output team award (2023)
• ECS Toyota Young Investigator Award (2023)
• ORNL Supplemental Performance Award (2023)

Education

09/2012 – 03/2017  Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering 

University of California, Riverside

09/2010 – 07/2012  M.S. Materials Science and Engineering

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia

09/2006 – 06/2010 B.S. Material Chemistry 

University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China

Professional Service

• Editorial Advisory Board member and guest editor for Clean Technologies & Recycling.
• Guest editor for Batteries.

Trademarks and Patents

1.    Ilias Belharouak, Yaocai Bai, Rachid Essehli. Recovery of materials from electrode scraps and spent lithium-ion batteries via a green solvent-based separation process. US 11,664,542 B2, US Patent, granted May 30, 2023.
2.    Yaocai Bai, Ilias Belharouak, Rachid Essehli. Direct recycling of lithium-ion battery anode scraps for manufacturing a new anode. US 11,721,850 B2, US Patent, granted Aug. 8, 2023.
3.    Ilias Belharouak, Yaocai Bai, Jianlin Li, Rachid Essehli. Efficient recovery processes for the black mass from spent lithium-ion batteries. US 11,916,206 B2, US Patent, granted Feb. 27, 2024
4.    Ilias Belharouak, Yaocai Bai, Rachid Essehli. Recovery of materials from spent batteries using a green solvent. 17/551,395, US Patent App.
5.    Ilias Belharouak, Yaocai Bai, Rachid Essehli, Jianlin Li. Relithiation process for direct regeneration of cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries. 17/363,272, US Patent App.
6.    Ilias Belharouak, Yaocai Bai. Method of recycling materials from lithium-ion batteries. 17/706,981, US Patent App.
7.    Huimin Luo, Sheng Dai, Tao Wang, Ilias Belharouak, Jianlin Li, Yaocai Bai. Direct regeneration of lithium ion cathodes by ionothermal Relithiation. 17/736,426, US Patent App. 
8.    Jianlin Li, Yaocai Bai, Mengya Li, David Wood. Synthesis of transition metal layered oxide materials for battery cathodes. 17/548,838, US Patent App.
 

Publications