Device and method for separating active substances

Abstract

The present application provides an active material separation device capable of inhibiting damage and separating an active material. An active material separation device according to an embodiment of the present application separates an active material from a battery member, wherein the active material separation device includes: a container; a base member provided inside the container and supporting the battery member; and a nozzle provided above the container and spraying a liquid to the battery member, the nozzle spraying the liquid in a state where a position of an upper surface of the battery member is lower than a position of a liquid surface of the liquid.

Description

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-059058 filed on March 31, 2022, and the content thereof is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to a separation device of an active material. BACKGROUND

[0003] From the viewpoint of climate-related disasters, the interest in electric power motor vehicles for CO2 reduction is rising, and the demand for batteries mounted on electric power motor vehicles is also rising. In such a situation, research on the recycling of battery materials is progressing. For example, research is being conducted from the viewpoint of efficient recovery of metals used in active materials of electrodes, cost reduction of recovery processes, and the like.

[0004] For example, International Publication No. 2010 / 106618 discloses a battery member treatment method including a positive electrode active material recovery process in which a positive electrode active material, which is an insoluble component, is recovered by bringing a battery member into contact with treatment water containing water. SUMMARY

[0005] In the treatment of separating an active material from an electrode, it is desirable to have less damage to the active material.

[0006] An object of an aspect of the present application is to provide a separation device of an active material that can separate the active material while suppressing damage.

[0007] The gist of the present application is as described below.

[0008] [1] A separation device of an active material according to an aspect of the present application separates the active material from a battery member containing the active material, wherein the separation device of the active material includes: a container; a base member provided inside the container and supporting the battery member; and a nozzle provided above the container and spraying a liquid to the battery member, the nozzle spraying the liquid in a state where a position of an upper surface of the battery member is lower than a position of a liquid surface of the liquid.

[0009] [2] The separation device of the active material according to the above [1] can also be such that the base member is movable in a vertical direction.

[0010] [3] The separation device of the active material according to the above [1] or [2] can also be such that the separation device of the active material includes a waste liquid portion provided below the container and having a shut-off valve.

[0011] [4] The active material separation device according to any one of [1] to [3] can further include a second waste liquid portion different from the waste liquid portion.

[0012] [5] The active material separation device according to any one of [1] to [4] can further include a ring-shaped inner lid portion inside the container.

[0013] [6] The active material separation device according to any one of [1] to [5] can further include a first height measuring mechanism that measures a height of an upper surface of the battery member, and a second height measuring mechanism that measures a height of a liquid surface of the liquid.

[0014] [7] The active material separation device according to [6] can further include a control portion that controls a distance between the upper surface of the battery member and the liquid surface of the liquid based on the height of the upper surface of the battery member measured by the first height measuring mechanism and the height of the liquid surface of the liquid measured by the second height measuring mechanism.

[0015] [8] The active material separation device according to [6] or [7] can further include the second height measuring mechanism that calculates the height of the liquid surface of the liquid based on a height of a measurement plate disposed at the liquid surface of the liquid.

[0016] [9] The active material separation device according to any one of [1] to [8] can further include a trap filter disposed inside the container.

[0017] According to the above-described aspect of the present application, it is possible to separate an active material while suppressing damage.

[0018] Further, the active material separation device according to [2] described above can further suppress damage to the active material. Further, it is possible to suppress scattering of the active material, and to improve the recovery efficiency of the active material.

[0019] Further, the active material separation device according to [3] described above can store the liquid in the container, and immerse the battery member in the liquid. The active material is separated while the battery member is immersed in the liquid, and thus it is possible to suppress scattering of the active material. As a result, it is possible to improve the recovery efficiency of the active material.

[0020] Further, the active material separation device according to the above [4] can discharge the liquid in the container from the second waste liquid portion together with the first waste liquid portion, and can increase the discharge speed of the liquid. Therefore, the processing efficiency can be increased. Further, the height of the liquid surface S can be adjusted more easily.

[0021] Further, the active material separation device according to the above [5] can suppress the variation of the liquid surface by the inner lid portion, and can suppress the case where the separated active material is scattered and adheres to the lid and the inner side surface of the container. Therefore, the recovery efficiency of the active material can be increased.

[0022] Further, the active material separation device according to the above [6] can control the distance between the upper surface of the battery member and the liquid surface of the liquid. Thus, the collision energy from the ejector that the battery member receives can be in an appropriate range. As a result, the separation speed of the active material from the battery member can be maintained to be a large speed while suppressing the damage of the active material separated from the battery member. Further, the scattering of the active material separated from the battery member can be suppressed, and the recovery efficiency of the active material can be increased.

[0023] Further, the active material separation device according to the above [7] does not need to manually adjust the distance, and the workability is increased.

[0024] Further, the active material separation device according to the above [8] can more accurately calculate the height of the liquid surface.

[0025] Further, the active material separation device according to the above [9] can increase the recovery rate of the active material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 is a view that schematically shows the structure of an active material separation device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 2 is a II-II view of Figure 1

[0028] Figure 3 is a II-II view of Figure 1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] An active material separation device according to an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 1 2 Figure 1 is a view that schematically shows the structure of an active material separation device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 is Figure 1 ​​​​FIG. 2 is a II-II cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. Note that in this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function are denoted by the same reference numeral, and repeated explanation is omitted.

[0030] The active material separation device 1 of this embodiment is a device that separates an active material from the battery member 70. The active material separation device 1 includes a container 10, a nozzle 20 provided above the container 10, a base member (table) 30 provided inside the container 10, a trapping filter 40 provided inside the container 10, a displacement meter 50, an inner lid portion 60, and a control portion 100.

[0031] The container 10 has a trunk portion 110 whose internal space is substantially the same diameter in the vertical direction; Figure 1 The first reduced diameter portion 120 connected to the trunk portion 110 and reduced in diameter toward the lower side, a trapping portion 130 connected to the first reduced diameter portion 120, the second reduced diameter portion 140 connected to the trapping portion 130 and reduced in diameter toward the lower side, and a lid 150 provided above the trunk portion 110 and covering the inside of the container 10 are provided as illustrated. In the first reduced diameter portion 120 and the second reduced diameter portion 140, the area of the horizontal cross section becomes smaller as it approaches the lower side. The first reduced diameter portion 120 has a contact portion 121 on the inner surface thereof, which has a shape corresponding to the shape of the lower surface edge portion 34 of the table 30. The trapping filter 40 is provided in the trapping portion 130 in correspondence with the shape thereof.

[0032] In addition, the container 10 has an exhaust port 160, a first waste liquid portion 170, and a second waste liquid portion 180 as illustrated. Figure 1

[0033] The exhaust port 160 discharges gas generated by contact between the battery member 70 and the spray body 21 or the liquid 22 constituting the spray body 21 sprayed from the nozzle 20 to the outside of the container 10. The exhaust port 160 is provided to the trunk portion 110, and can easily discard the above gas to the outside of the container 10.

[0034] The first waste liquid portion 170 is a tubular member, and is connected to the lower end of the second reduced diameter portion 140 of the container 10. The liquid 22 in the container 10 flows downward together with the active material separated from the battery member 70. The active material is trapped by the trapping filter 40, and the liquid 22 passes through the first waste liquid portion 13 through the trapping filter 40 and is discharged to the outside of the container 10.

[0035] ​A first opening and closing valve 171 is provided in the first waste liquid portion 170. When the ejectant 21 is ejected in a state in which the first opening and closing valve 171 is closed, the liquid 22 is stored in the inside of the container 10. In a state in which the liquid level S of the stored liquid 22 becomes a position higher than the surface of the battery member 70, the ejectant 21 is ejected from the nozzle 20 to the battery member 70, whereby the collision energy received by the battery member 70 from the ejectant 21 is reduced, and thus the damage to the active material is suppressed.

[0036] The second waste liquid portion 180 is a tubular member that is connected to the inside of the container 10 from the side surface of the trunk portion 110 of the container 10. The liquid 22 stored in the inside of the container 10 is discharged to the outside of the container 10 through the second waste liquid portion 180. Thus, the liquid 22 is discharged from the second waste liquid portion 180 as well as from the first waste liquid portion 170, and thus the discharge speed of the liquid 22 can be increased. In addition, the second waste liquid portion 180 is connected to the inner side surface 111 of the trunk portion 110 and is provided at a position higher than the first reduced diameter portion 120. Thus, the amount of the active material contained in the liquid 22 discharged from the second waste liquid portion 180 is small. Thus, in the container 10, the discharge of the liquid 22 is performed without reducing the recovery rate of the active material. In addition, a second opening and closing valve 181 is provided in the second waste liquid portion 180. When the second opening and closing valve 181 is closed, a larger volume of the liquid 22 can be stored in the inside of the container 10.

[0037] The nozzle 20 that ejects the ejectant 21 is provided in the lid 150 of the container 10. The ejectant 21 is ejected by the nozzle 20 toward the battery member 70.

[0038] The ejectant 21 is a liquid that reacts with the solid-state electrolyte material contained in the battery member 70. As the ejectant 21, for example, a protic polar solvent can be cited, and specifically, water, ethanol, methanol, acetone, and the like can be cited. Note that a mixture thereof can also be used as the ejectant 21.

[0039] The liquid 22 is a liquid that constitutes the ejectant 21 or is stored in the inside of the container 10, the first waste liquid portion 170, and the second waste liquid portion 180 after the collision of the ejectant 21 with the battery member 70. The liquid 22 after the collision with the battery member 70 contains the dissolved components of the battery member 70 in addition to the components of the ejectant 21.

[0040] The nozzle 20 sprays the jetting material 21 with the position of the upper surface of the battery component 70 lower than the liquid level S of the liquid 22. Alternatively, the liquid 22 stored in the container 10 can be introduced into the container 10 through an inlet not shown before the jetting material 21 begins to spray. Alternatively, the liquid can be introduced through the nozzle 20 before the battery component 70 is placed on the worktable 30. If multiple nozzles 20 are provided, the liquid 22 can be introduced through nozzles other than the one spraying the jetting material 21 towards the battery component 70. The liquid 22 is adjusted so that the liquid level S is higher than the upper surface of the battery component 70. In this state, the nozzle 20 sprays the jetting material 21 towards the battery component 70, thereby reducing the impact energy received by the battery component 70 through the liquid 22, thus suppressing damage to the active material separating from the battery component 70. Furthermore, it suppresses the scattering of active material separating from the battery component 70, improving the recovery efficiency of the active material.

[0041] Nozzle 20 can also be controlled by control unit 100, which will be described later.

[0042] The worktable 30 supports the battery component 70. The worktable 30 can move at least in the horizontal direction. For example, the worktable 30... Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the table has a plurality of first axes 31 extending in one direction on a horizontal plane, and a plurality of second axes 32 perpendicular to the plurality of first axes 31 on the horizontal plane. The first axes 31 and the second axes 32 move in their respective axes, thereby moving the table 30 in that axis. Therefore, the table 30 is movable in the horizontal direction.

[0043] In addition, workbench 30, etc. Figure 1 As shown, the device has multiple third axes 33 extending in the vertical direction. These third axes 33 allow the worktable 30 to move in the vertical direction. By moving the battery component 70 in the vertical direction via the third axes 33, the distance between the battery component 70 and the nozzle 20 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the impact energy of the jet 21 onto the battery component 70. As a result, the nozzle 20 can have a simplified structure. Therefore, the device cost can be reduced.

[0044] In addition, the third shaft 33 is capable of independent movement, and when only one of the third shafts 33 is raised or lowered, the third shaft 33 side of the work table 30 is raised or lowered. As a result, the work table 30 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. In the case where the work table 30 is not inclined, after the separation treatment of the active material is completed, the active material is also likely to remain on the surface of the work table 30. When the active material remains on the surface of the work table 30, it is difficult to stably arrange the battery member 70, which is the next processing target, on the work table 30. Therefore, in order to remove the active material remaining on the work table 30, a process of washing with water or the like is performed, but by inclining the work table 30, it becomes easy to remove the active material remaining on the work table 30.

[0045] The lower surface edge portion 34 of the work table 30 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the contact portion 121 in the first reduced diameter portion 120, as shown in FIG. 1. Figure 1 The work table 30 is moved in the vertical direction by the third shaft 33, and by the lower surface edge portion 34 of the work table 30 contacting the contact portion 121 of the first reduced diameter portion 120, the inside of the container 10 is divided into a first space above the contact portion 121 and a second space below the contact portion.

[0046] When the liquid 22 stored in the inside of the container 10 is discharged from the first waste liquid portion 170 and the second waste liquid portion 180, the active material deposited in the trap filter 40 and the first reduced diameter portion 120 is sometimes scattered in the liquid 22. In this case, the scattered active material can be discharged from the second waste liquid portion 180 to the outside together with the liquid 22. However, when the inside of the container 10 is divided into the first space and the second space by the lower surface edge portion 34 of the work table 30 contacting the contact portion 121 of the first reduced diameter portion 120 in the state where the liquid 22 is stored in the container 10 and the active material is deposited in the vicinity of the trap filter 40 of the first reduced diameter portion 120 and the trap filter 40, even in the case where the active material is scattered at the time of discharge of the liquid 22, it is possible to prevent the active material from being scattered to the first space and to prevent the active material from being discharged from the second waste liquid portion 180. As a result, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the recovery rate of the active material.

[0047] The displacement meter 50 is a device that measures the height of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 or the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70 in the container 10, and is provided to the lid 150. The displacement meter 50 is, for example, a laser displacement meter, and irradiates laser light downward to measure the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70 or the height of the liquid surface S. Therefore, the displacement meter 50 can be referred to as a first height measuring mechanism that measures the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70, and also can be referred to as a second height measuring mechanism that measures the height of the liquid surface of the liquid 22.

[0048] The displacement meter 50 is preferably provided with a plurality of displacement meters 50 in order to measure the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the height of the liquid surface S at the same time. By measuring the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the height of the liquid surface S at the same time, the distance between the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 can be more accurately controlled by the control unit 100 described later.

[0049] In addition, in order to more accurately obtain the height of the liquid surface S, the height of the liquid surface S is preferably measured by a plurality of displacement meters 50. For example, a plurality of displacement meters 50 are provided at equal intervals along the inner side surface 111, and the average of the heights of the liquid surface S measured by the plurality of displacement meters 50 is set as the height of the liquid surface S, whereby the height of the liquid surface S can be more accurately measured.

[0050] The inner lid portion 60 is a ring-shaped member and is formed of a material having a smaller density than the liquid 22 and can float on the liquid surface S. The outer shape of the inner lid portion 60 is a shape corresponding to the inner side surface 111 of the trunk portion 110 in a plan view, and the inner diameter of the inner lid portion 60 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the trunk portion 110 on the horizontal surface. When the separation treatment of the active material is performed in a state where the inner lid portion 60 floats on the liquid surface S, the inner lid portion 60 suppresses the fluctuation of the liquid surface S, and thus the separation of the active material and the liquid 22 and the attachment of the active material to the lid 150 and the inner side surface 111 of the container 10 are suppressed. Thus, the recovery of the active material attached to the lid 150 and the inner side surface 111 becomes easy, and thus the recovery efficiency of the active material can be improved. In addition, the battery member 70 contains, for example, a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, and in the case where water is used in the ejector 21, hydrogen sulfide is generated by the reaction with the ejector 21 by the separation treatment, but since the inner lid portion 60 is provided at the liquid surface S, the generated hydrogen sulfide easily dissolves in the liquid 22. As a result, the hydrogen sulfide dissolved in the liquid 22 is easier to handle than the hydrogen sulfide in a gaseous state, and thus the hydrogen sulfide can be easily recovered.

[0051] The height of the upper surface of the inner lid portion 60 can also be measured by the displacement meter 50, and the inner lid portion 60 can be used as a measurement plate for calculating the height of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 based on the height. For example, the value obtained by subtracting the height of the portion of the thickness of the inner lid portion 60 exposed to the liquid surface S from the height of the upper surface of the inner lid portion 60 measured by the displacement meter 50 can be set as the height of the liquid surface S. The height of the portion of the thickness of the inner lid portion 60 exposed to the liquid surface S can be calculated, for example, based on the density of the liquid 22 and the density of the inner lid portion 60.

[0052] In addition, the inner diameter of the inner lid portion 60 is longer than the maximum length in the horizontal direction of the battery member 70. Since the inner diameter of the inner lid portion 60 is longer than the maximum length in the horizontal direction of the battery member 70, the attachment and detachment of the battery member 70 to and from the workbench 30 can be easily performed.

[0053] The control section 100 controls the distance between the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 based on the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70 measured by the displacement meter 50 and the height of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 measured by the displacement meter 50. The control section 100 receives information on the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70 and information on the height of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 measured by the displacement meter 50 from the displacement meter 50, and based on these pieces of information, at least any one of the change in the position of the stage 30, the opening and closing of the first opening and closing valve 171, and the opening and closing of the second opening and closing valve 181 is implemented. Thus, the distance between the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 is controlled. As a result, the collision energy from the ejecta 21 that the battery member 70 receives can be brought into an appropriate range, and the damage to the active material separated from the battery member 70 can be further suppressed. In addition, the scattering of the active material separated from the battery member 70 can be suppressed, and the recovery efficiency of the active material can be improved.

[0054] The control section 100 is realized by, for example, hardware including an arithmetic device such as a CPU, a main storage device such as a ROM (Read only memory) and a RAM (Random access memory), and a secondary storage device such as a hard disk and a flash memory. The control section 100 can be constituted by one hardware, or can be constituted by a plurality of hardware. Note that the control section 100 can also be realized by an assembled system.

[0055] The battery member 70 is a processing target of the active material separation device of the present embodiment. The battery member 70 contains, for example, a positive electrode active material having Li, and a solid-state electrolyte material. The battery member 70 can also have at least one of an electrically conductive material and a negative electrode active material.

[0056] The positive electrode active material is not particularly limited, and contains Li, for example. The positive electrode active material is generally not dissolved in the ejecta 21 and the liquid 22. As the positive electrode active material, for example, a layered positive electrode active material, a spinel-type positive electrode active material, an olivine-type positive electrode active material, and the like can be given. As the layered positive electrode active material, for example, LiCoO2, LiNiO2, LiCo 1 / 3 Ni 1 / 3Mn 1 / 3 O2, LiVO2, LiCrO2, and the like can be given. As the spinel-type positive electrode active material, for example, LiMn2O4, LiCoMnO4, Li2NiMn3O8, LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O4, and the like can be given. As the olivine-type positive electrode active material, for example, LiCoPO4, LiMnPO4, LiFePO4, and the like can be given.

[0057] The solid electrolyte material contains components that are dissolved in the sparging body 21 and the liquid 22. The solid electrolyte material contains, for example, Li and S. The solid electrolyte material preferably does not contain components that are not dissolved in the sparging body 21 and the liquid 22. If the solid electrolyte material is only components that are dissolved in the sparging body 21 and the liquid 22, a separation process between the insoluble components and the positive electrode active material is not required, and the recovery of the positive electrode active material becomes easy. As the solid electrolyte material containing Li and S, for example, a material having Li, S, and a third component, or the like can be given. As the third component, for example, at least one or more selected from the group consisting of P, Ge, B, Si, I, Al, Ga, and As can be given. The sulfide solid electrolyte material can be a compound containing Li2S and a sulfide other than Li2S.

[0058] As the negative electrode active material, for example, a metal active material and a carbon active material can be given. As the metal active material, for example, In, Al, Si, Sn, and the like can be given. As the carbon active material, for example, mesocarbon microbeads, highly oriented graphite, hard carbon, soft carbon, and the like can be given.

[0059] As the conductive material, for example, acetylene black, carbon fiber, and the like can be given.

[0060] In addition, the battery member 70 can also have a current collecting foil 71. The current collecting foil 71 is, for example, an aluminum foil provided to the positive electrode of the battery member 70, a copper foil provided to the negative electrode of the battery member 70.

[0061] The active material separation device 1 of the present embodiment has been described so far. Next, an example of a separation method of separating an active material from a battery member 70 using the active material separation device 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0062] First, in a state where the first on-off valve 171 and the second on-off valve 181 are closed, the battery member 70 is disposed on the upper surface of the workbench 30. The liquid 22 is fed to the inside of the container 10 from the nozzles 20 other than the nozzle 20 that sparges the sparging body 21 toward the battery member 70 or a not-illustrated feed port, and adjusted so that the liquid level S reaches a position higher than the upper surface of the battery member 70. In detail, while the stored liquid 22 is fed to the inside of the container 10, the position of the liquid level S and the position of the upper surface of the battery member 70 are measured by the displacement gauge 50. The control section 100 receives information of the position of the liquid level S and information of the position of the upper surface of the battery member 70, and when the distance between the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the liquid level S of the liquid 22 becomes within a range that is set in advance, the control section 100 transmits an instruction to the nozzle 20 so that the nozzle 20 sparges the sparging body 21 toward the battery member 70.

[0063] Next, the ejector 21 is ejected from the nozzle 20 toward the battery member 70. The solid electrolyte material of the battery member 70 is dissolved in the ejector 21, and by the collision of the ejector 21 to the battery member 70, the active material is separated from the battery member 70. The stage 30 is moved in the horizontal direction by the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 32, and the collision position of the ejector 21 in the battery member 70 is changed. During the ejection of the ejector 21, the liquid 22 is stored in the inside of the container 10, and the position of the liquid surface S rises. On the other hand, the active material separated from the battery member 70 is deposited in the trapping filter 40. During this period, the position of the liquid surface S and the position of the upper surface of the battery member 70 are measured by the displacement meter 50. The control section 100 receives the information of the position of the liquid surface S and the information of the position of the upper surface of the battery member 70. In the case where the distance between the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 becomes a value or more than a value set in advance, the control section 100 performs at least any of the processes of lowering the position of the stage 30, opening the first on-off valve 171, and opening the second on-off valve 181. Thereby, the distance between the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 is adjusted to a range set in advance, and the separation process is continued.

[0064] After the separation of the active material from the battery member 70 on the stage 30 is completed, the ejection of the ejector 21 from the nozzle 20 is stopped and the stage 30 is left as it is. By this, the deposition of the active material proceeds.

[0065] After the above-mentioned leaving as it is, the stage 30 is lowered so that the contact portion 121 in the first reduced diameter portion 120 comes into contact with the lower surface edge portion 34 in the stage 30. Thereby, the inside of the container 10 is divided into a first space below the contact portion 121 and a second space above the contact portion 121.

[0066] After that, the first on-off valve 171 and the second on-off valve 181 are opened, and the liquid 22 stored in the container 10 is discharged to the outside of the container 10. At this time, the first waste liquid portion 170 discharges the liquid 22 stored in the first space, and the second waste liquid portion 180 discharges the liquid 22 stored in the second space. Thereby, the active material is trapped by the trapping filter 40.

[0067] As needed, the stage 30 is moved upward, the contact between the contact portion 121 and the lower surface edge portion 34 in the stage 30 is released, and only one of the third shafts 33, 33 is made to operate, so that the stage 30 is tilted. After the stage 30 is tilted, the ejector 21 is ejected from the nozzle 20 toward the stage 30. Thereby, the active material remaining on the stage 30 is removed from the stage 30, and the removed active material is trapped by the trapping filter 40.

[0068] After the separation process of the active material from the battery member 70 is completed, the work table 30 is moved to the initial position, and the battery member 70 to be newly processed is arranged on the work table 30, and the above-described operation is repeated. Thus, an example of the separation method of the active material from the battery member 70 using the active material separation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is described. As described above, in the present embodiment, there is a separation method of an active material, which can be said to be a separation method of an active material in which a container, a base member arranged in the inside of the container and supporting a battery member, and a nozzle arranged above the container and spraying a liquid to the battery member are provided, and the active material is separated from the battery member containing the active material by the liquid sprayed from the nozzle, and the nozzle sprays the liquid in a state in which the position of the upper surface of the battery member is lower than the position of the liquid surface of the liquid.

[0069] The active material separation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is described above. As described above, the active material separation apparatus 1 includes the container 10, the base member (work table) 30 arranged in the inside of the container 10 and supporting the battery member 70, and the nozzle 20 arranged above the container 10 and spraying the spray 21 to the battery member 70. The nozzle 20 sprays the spray 21 in a state in which the position of the upper surface of the battery member 70 is lower than the position of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22. By the spray 21, the solid electrolyte material of the battery member 70 is dissolved, and by the collision of the spray 21 to the battery member 70, the active material is separated from the battery member 70. If the separation of the active material is performed by mechanical processing such as grinding, the damage of the active material becomes large, but according to the present embodiment, the damage of the active material can be suppressed. Further, the spray 21 is sprayed toward the battery member 70 in a state in which the position of the upper surface of the battery member 70 is lower than the position of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22, and thus the collision energy received by the battery member 70 by the liquid 22 stored in the inside of the container 10 is reduced, and the damage of the active material separated from the battery member 70 can be suppressed. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the active material can be separated while the damage is suppressed.

[0070] Further, the work table 30 is movable in the vertical direction, and thus the distance between the battery member 70 and the nozzle 20 can be adjusted, and the collision energy of the spray 21 to the battery member 70 can be adjusted. Thus, the damage of the active material separated from the battery member 70 can be suppressed. Further, the scattering of the active material separated from the battery member 70 can be suppressed, and the recovery efficiency of the active material can be improved. Further, it is not necessary to adjust the flow rate of the spray by the nozzle 20. As a result, the nozzle 20 can be made to have a simple structure, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

[0071] Further, the first waste liquid section 170 has a first opening and closing valve 171, so it is possible to store the liquid 22 in the container 10 and to immerse the battery member 70 in the liquid 22. In this state, the active material is separated while the battery member 70 is immersed in the liquid 22, so it is possible to suppress scattering of the active material. As a result, it is possible to improve the recovery efficiency of the active material.

[0072] Further, there is a second waste liquid section 180 that is different from the first waste liquid section 170, so it is possible to discharge the liquid 22 in the container 10 from the second waste liquid section 180 together with the first waste liquid section 170, and it is possible to improve the discharge speed of the liquid 22. Further, the liquid 22 is discharged to the outside of the container 10 by using a plurality of waste liquid sections, so it is easier to adjust the height of the liquid surface S.

[0073] Further, the annular inner lid section 60 provided in the inside of the container 10 suppresses variation of the liquid surface S, so it suppresses the case where the separated active material scatters and adheres to the lid 150 and the inner side surface 111 of the container 10. Therefore, it is possible to improve the recovery efficiency of the active material.

[0074] Further, there are the displacement meter 50 that is a first height measuring mechanism that measures the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the displacement meter 50 that is a second height measuring mechanism that measures the height of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22, so it is possible to control the distance between the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the liquid surface S of the liquid 22. Thus, it is possible to make the collision energy received by the battery member 70 from the projectile 21 be in an appropriate range. As a result, it is possible to maintain the separation speed of the active material separated from the battery member 70 to be a large speed while suppressing damage to the active material separated from the battery member 70. Further, it is possible to suppress scattering of the active material separated from the battery member 70, and it is possible to improve the recovery efficiency of the active material.

[0075] Further, the control section 100 controls the distance between the upper surface of the battery member 70 and the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 on the basis of the height of the upper surface of the battery member 70 measured by the displacement meter 50 and the height of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 measured by the displacement meter 50, so it is not necessary to manually adjust the distance, and workability is improved.

[0076] Further, the displacement meter 50 calculates the height of the liquid surface S of the liquid 22 on the basis of the height of the inner lid section 60, so it is possible to more accurately calculate the height of the liquid surface S.

[0077] Further, the collection filter 40 is provided in the inside of the container 10, and the distance from the position where the battery member 70 is provided to the collection filter 40 is short, so the loss of recovery of the active material is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to improve the recovery rate of the active material.

[0078] The above describes one embodiment of the present application, but the present application is not limited to this. The above is merely an example, and inventions having substantially the same structure as that described in the technical idea of the present application and achieving the same effects are included in the technical scope of the present application.

[0079] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the shape of the inner side surface 111 on the horizontal cross section of the trunk portion 110 is circular, but the shape of the inner side surface 111 on the horizontal cross section can not be circular. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the shape of the inner side surface 111A on the horizontal cross section of the trunk portion 110A can be square. In this case, the shape of the horizontal cross section of the first reduced diameter portion is also square. Further, the shape of the horizontal cross section of the workbench 30A is also quadrangular. Further, the lower end portion of the workbench 30A is in contact with the contact portion of the first reduced diameter portion, and divides the inside of the container 10A into the first space and the second space. Figure 3

[0080] Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the exhaust port 160 is provided to the trunk portion 110, but can be provided to the lid 150.

[0081] Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the liquid 22 is stored in the container 10 without being discharged by the first on-off valve 171 provided to the first waste liquid portion 170, but instead of the first on-off valve 171, an on-off valve can be provided to the lower end of the second reduced diameter portion 140.

[0082] Further, for example, a trapping filter (not shown) can be provided to the second waste liquid portion 180. By the trapping filter provided to the second waste liquid portion 180, even if the active material flows out to the second waste liquid portion 180, the active material is trapped by the trapping filter, and thus the decrease in the recovery rate of the active material can be prevented.

[0083] Further, the second waste liquid portion is not limited to one, and a plurality of second waste liquid portions can be provided.

[0084] Further, the nozzle is not limited to one, and a plurality of nozzles can be provided. According to the plurality of nozzles, a plurality of sprayed bodies can be sprayed, and the separation speed of the active material can be improved. In the case where a plurality of nozzles are provided, the arrangement thereof can be determined according to the size and shape of the battery member.

[0085] Further, the battery member can be supported on the upper surface of a support member (not shown) smaller than the workbench, and the support member can be provided to the workbench. By the support member, the arrangement of the battery member to the workbench becomes easy.

[0086] ​In addition, the displacement meter is not limited to one, and a plurality of displacement meters can be provided. In the case where a plurality of displacement meters are provided, it is preferable to provide them at equal intervals along the inner side surface of the container. By providing a plurality of displacement meters along the inner side surface of the container, it is possible to reduce the influence of variation in the liquid surface by the sprayed body sprayed from the nozzle. In addition, by providing a plurality of displacement meters at equal intervals, it is possible to measure the position of the liquid surface with higher precision.

[0087] In the above-described embodiment, the outer shape of the inner cap portion 60 is a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner side surface 111, and the outer shape of the inner cap portion 60 substantially coincides with the diameter on the horizontal plane of the trunk portion 110. However, the outer shape of the inner cap portion can not correspond to the shape of the inner side surface, for example, as shown in Figure 3 the inner side surface 111A of the trunk portion 110A is a quadrangle in plan view, but the outer shape of the inner cap portion 60A is a circle. In this way, the outer shape of the inner cap portion can be different from the shape of the inner side surface of the trunk portion.

[0088] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the position of the upper surface of the inner cap portion 60 is measured by the displacement meter 50, but a plate different from the inner cap portion 60 can be provided to the liquid surface S, and the position of the upper surface of the plate can be measured.

[0089] The battery member is not limited to one including the above-described material, and the present application can be applied to a battery member containing various components dissolved in the sprayed body.

[0090] In addition, at least the first on-off valve 171, the second waste liquid portion 180, the third shaft 33, the trapping filter 40, and the inner cap portion 60 are arbitrary structures, and can not necessarily be provided to the active material separation device of the present application. In the case where the trapping filter 40 is not provided, the trapping filter can be provided outside the container 10, and the active material can be recovered by the trapping filter.

[0091] The above-described structure can be appropriately omitted within a range where the effect of the present application is exerted. In addition, the above-described separation method of the active material from the battery member 70 is only an example, and the order of each process can be appropriately changed or omitted within a range where it can be implemented.

Claims

1. An active material separation device that separates an active material from a battery member containing the active material, wherein the active material separation device comprises: a container; a base member provided inside the container and supporting the battery member; a nozzle provided above the container and spraying a liquid to the battery member; and a ring-shaped inner lid portion located inside the container, the nozzle sprays the liquid to the battery member to separate the active material from the battery member in a state where the inner lid portion floats on a liquid surface of the liquid stored inside the container and a position of an upper surface of the battery member is lower than a position of the liquid surface of the liquid.

2. The active material separation device according to claim 1, wherein the base member is movable in a vertical direction.

3. The active material separation device according to claim 1, wherein the active material separation device comprises a waste liquid portion provided below the container and having an on-off valve.

4. The active material separation device according to claim 3, wherein the active material separation device comprises a second waste liquid portion different from the waste liquid portion as a first waste liquid portion.

5. The active material separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the active material separation device comprises: a first height measuring mechanism that measures a height of an upper surface of the battery member; and a second height measuring mechanism that measures a height of a liquid surface of the liquid.

6. The active material separation device according to claim 5, wherein the active material separation device comprises a control portion that controls a distance between the upper surface of the battery member and the liquid surface of the liquid based on the height of the upper surface of the battery member measured by the first height measuring mechanism and the height of the liquid surface of the liquid measured by the second height measuring mechanism.

7. The active material separation device according to claim 5, wherein the second height measuring mechanism calculates the height of the liquid surface of the liquid based on a height of a measuring plate provided at the liquid surface of the liquid.

8. The active material separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the active material separation device comprises a trapping filter provided inside the container.

9. An active material separation method that separates an active material from a battery member containing the active material, wherein the battery member is disposed in a liquid, a nozzle sprays a spray to the battery member in a state where an inner lid portion floats on a liquid surface of the liquid and a position of an upper surface of the battery member is lower than a position of the liquid surface of the liquid, and the active material is separated from the battery member. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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