Method and system for recovering electrode metals from spent lithium ion batteries

Abstract

A method of obtaining an electrode metal from an electrode of a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, the method comprising separating an electrode portion from a spent lithium-ion battery. A leaching solvent is brought into contact with the separated electrode portions to form an electrode dispersion. The electrode dispersion is heated to a temperature in the range from about 50 DEG C to about 90 DEG C by applying microwave radiation. The temperature of the electrode dispersion is maintained in a range from about 50 DEG C to about 90 DEG C for a period of time in a range from about 10 seconds to 5 minutes by further applying microwave radiation to the heated electrode dispersion. The electrode dispersion is then filtered to obtain the electrode metal.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 342,422, filed on May 16, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 392,290, filed on July 26, 2022, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries, and in particular to systems and methods for recovering electrode metals from spent lithium-ion batteries. Background Art

[0004] As the use of electric devices, including cars, increases, the use of batteries continues to grow. Therefore, over time, the number of used batteries will also grow. However, the amount of metals and other natural resources used as raw materials for batteries is limited. Therefore, in order to continue to produce more batteries, it will be necessary to recover the raw materials by recycling used batteries.

[0005] A typical lithium-ion battery includes: plastic, which forms a protective cover for the battery and part of the battery's separator; an anode, which includes an anode metal (such as copper) and a black substance; a cathode, which includes a cathode metal (such as aluminum) and a black substance; and a black substance, which forms part of the separator. In addition to lithium, the black substance typically includes graphite and oxides of several valuable metals (such as iron, cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper and aluminum). Lithium usually accounts for only about 1% of the battery's weight.

[0006] Most of the current technologies for recycling spent lithium batteries utilize pyrometallurgical processes, such as smelting that requires high temperatures (e.g., in the range of from about 500° C. to about 1400° C.). As a result, the cost of recovering the metal is much higher than the price of the recovered metal. In addition, the amount of each metal recovered is also generally lower than, for example, hydrometallurgical processes.

[0007] Although hydrometallurgical processes can provide higher yields and potentially higher purity of recovered metals, these processes generally require heating the leached solvate at relatively high temperatures (e.g., in the range of from about 100° C. to about 400° C.) for a long time. Therefore, the energy requirements of such processes remain high. In addition, the handling of the high temperature leached solvate poses certain hazards, which further increases the cost of such processes.

[0008] Therefore, current technologies for recycling spent batteries are not cost-effective relative to technologies for recovering these materials.Therefore, there is a need for cost-effective, low-energy, sustainable and low-carbon footprint technologies for recovering materials from spent batteries. Summary of the invention

[0009] The embodiments disclosed herein are derived from the recognition that high temperature and / or high temperature chemical techniques are not required to recover metals from electrodes of spent lithium ion batteries. The present application discloses systems and methods for obtaining electrode metals from spent lithium ion batteries using a leaching solvent in the presence of an oxidant. Since the leaching solvent used in the embodiments disclosed herein is an aqueous solution, microwave radiation can be used to reduce the time and energy required to heat the leaching solvent to a suitable temperature and maintain the temperature at which the metals dissolve in the leaching solvent.

[0010] The leaching solvent of the embodiments disclosed herein is selected so that it can dissolve all the various metals used in lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, once the electrodes of the lithium-ion battery are contacted with the leaching solvent at a suitable temperature, all the various metals in the battery will dissolve into the leaching solvent. Advantageously, the embodiments disclosed herein enable the recovery of high-purity electrode metals from waste lithium-ion batteries without the use of high-temperature chemical processes, thereby significantly reducing the time, cost and carbon footprint of recovering electrode metals from lithium-ion batteries.

[0011] Therefore, in at least one embodiment, a method for obtaining electrode metal from an electrode of a lithium ion (Li ion) battery includes separating an electrode portion from a waste lithium ion battery. A leaching solvent is contacted with the separated electrode portion to form an electrode dispersion. The electrode dispersion is heated to a temperature in the range of 50°C to 90°C by applying microwave radiation. The temperature of the electrode dispersion is maintained in the range of 50°C to 90°C for a period of time in the range of 10 seconds to 10 minutes (e.g., 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 6 minutes, 7 minutes, 8 minutes, 9 minutes, 10 minutes or any time between any two of these times) by further applying microwave radiation to the heated electrode dispersion. The electrode dispersion is then filtered to obtain the electrode metal.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment, a system for recovering electrode metals from waste lithium-ion batteries includes: a reaction chamber, a microwave radiation source connected to the reaction chamber, a microwave controller connected to the microwave radiation source, a temperature sensor connected to the reaction chamber and the microwave controller, and a filtering device connected to the reaction chamber. The reaction chamber is configured to contain a leaching solvent and black matter from the waste lithium battery. The microwave radiation source is configured to heat the leaching solvent in the reaction chamber by providing a predetermined amount of microwave radiation power to the leaching solvent. The microwave controller receives a temperature measurement from the temperature sensor and controls the microwave radiation source to heat the leaching solvent in the reaction chamber to a range from 50°C to 90°C, and maintains the temperature of the leaching solvent in the reaction chamber within a range from 50°C to 90°C for a period of time within a range from 10 seconds to 5 minutes. The filtering device is configured to filter the leaching solvent from the reaction chamber, thereby separating the leaching solvent from the undissolved black matter.

[0013] Additional features and advantages of the subject technology will be set forth in the following description, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the subject technology. The advantages of the subject technology will be realized and obtained through the structures particularly pointed out in the written description and its embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0014] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the subject technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Various features of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The illustrated embodiments are intended to illustrate the present disclosure, not to limit the present disclosure. The accompanying drawings include the following figures:

[0016] Figure 1 An apparatus for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0017] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for obtaining electrode metal from electrodes of spent lithium-ion batteries according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject technology. It should be understood that the subject technology can be practiced without some of these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and techniques are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the subject technology.

[0019] Furthermore, although the present description sets forth specific details of various embodiments, it should be understood that the description is merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting in any way. In addition, it is contemplated that although specific embodiments of the present disclosure may be disclosed or illustrated in the context of recycling of certain types of lithium batteries, such embodiments may be used with all types of lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, various applications of such embodiments and modifications thereof that may occur to a person skilled in the art are also encompassed within the general concepts described herein.

[0020] The cathode of a typical lithium-ion battery includes aluminum and a black substance, which mainly contains graphite powder and salts of one or more valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, iron, etc. Similarly, the typical anode of a lithium-ion battery includes copper and a black substance.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an apparatus 100 for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 includes a crusher 102, a cleaning chamber 104, one or more chemical storage tanks 106, a controller 108, one or more reaction chambers (such as, for example, a separation chamber 110, a precipitation chamber 112), one or more cleaning water tanks 114, one or more circulating water tanks 116, and one or more pumps 120.

[0022] In some embodiments, the crusher 102 is designed to crush the cells of the spent lithium-ion batteries (also referred to herein as "spent batteries" for ease of reference) into fragments ranging in size from about 1 mm to about 5 cm. In some embodiments, the crusher 102 may include a chamber that may be sealed and evacuated to reduce the amount of oxygen in the chamber, thereby preventing oxidation of the fragments of the spent batteries. In some embodiments, the chamber may be re-pressurized using an inert gas such as, for example, nitrogen or argon.

[0023] In some embodiments, the cleaning chamber 104 is designed to clean the fragments of spent batteries obtained from the shredder 102. Cleaning the fragments can include processes such as, for example, washing the fragments with water (e.g., distilled water), sonicating the fragments while in water or after drying the washed fragments, drying the washed and / or sonicated fragments, and the like.

[0024] In some embodiments, cleaning can be performed at room temperature or at an elevated temperature. In some embodiments, cleaning can be performed in air at atmospheric pressure. Alternatively or in addition, cleaning can be performed under vacuum and / or in an inert atmosphere (such as, for example, in the presence of nitrogen, argon, etc.).

[0025] In some embodiments, cleaning debris can include dispersing the fragments of the used battery in a fluid, and filtering the fragments using one or more filtering processes (such as, for example, using one or more screens, each screen having a different screen size). In some embodiments, the screen size can be in the range of from about 50 μm to about 5 mm. For example, the filtering process can include filtering the dispersion sequentially through a screen with a screen size of about 5 mm, then filtering through a screen with a screen size of about 1 mm, then filtering through a screen with a screen size of about 500 μm, then filtering through a screen with a screen size of about 50 μm. In some embodiments, one or more of these steps can be omitted. Alternatively or additionally, one or more filtering steps can be added to the process.

[0026] In some embodiments, one or more storage tanks 106 may store chemicals such as leaching chemicals, acids, neutralizing solutions (e.g., alkaline solutions, acid solutions, saline solutions, etc.), water, and / or other proprietary solutions that include one or more chemicals useful in the recycling process.

[0027] In some embodiments, each of the one or more storage tanks 106 can be connected to one or more reaction chambers 110, 112. In addition, the connection between the storage tank and the reaction chamber can include a control valve that can be controlled by the controller 108. The controller 108 is configured to control the amount of chemical transferred from the storage tank 106 to the reaction chamber 110, 112 via the control valve (or other mechanism). For example, the controller 108 can control parameters such as the volume and / or flow rate of the chemical transferred from the storage tank to the corresponding reaction chamber.

[0028] In some embodiments, controller 108 can control the volume, mass, and / or flow rate of chemicals transferred from a storage tank to a given reaction chamber using control parameters such as, for example, pH, temperature, volume, turbidity, density, and / or other parameters associated with the chemicals in a given reaction chamber.

[0029] In some embodiments, controller 108 can control the temperature of the material in the reaction chamber, for example, by controlling the amount of heat delivered to the reaction chamber or the material within the reaction chamber. For example, in some embodiments, controller 108 can control the power output to a microwave generator coupled to the reaction chamber in order to control the microwave energy delivered to the material in the reaction chamber. Controller 108 can control the power output based on parameters such as, for example, the temperature of the material in the reaction chamber.

[0030] In some embodiments, one or more reaction chambers can be connected to a clean water tank 114. In some embodiments, the connection between the reaction chamber and the clean water tank can be controlled by a control valve. Similar to the connection between the reaction chamber and the storage tank, the controller 108 can control the amount of water transferred from the clean water tank 114 to the reaction chamber via the control valve based on other parameters such as pH, temperature, volume, turbidity, density, and / or other parameters related to the chemicals in a given reaction chamber.

[0031] In some embodiments, one or more reaction chambers are further connected to a recirculating water tank 116. When the reaction in the reaction chamber is completed, any solid material generated in the reaction chamber, such as precipitation and / or separation, is removed. The solid material can be removed, for example, by filtering. In some embodiments, the remaining chemical substances are neutralized using, for example, a neutralizing solution, which is introduced into the reaction chamber from a corresponding storage tank via control of a control valve by a controller. In some embodiments, any precipitate produced by the neutralization reaction is removed, for example, by filtering, and the remaining water is transferred to a recirculating water storage tank 116.

[0032] In some embodiments, the transfer of material to one or more of the storage tank 106, reaction chambers 110, 112, clean water tank 114, and / or recirculation water tank 116 can be facilitated by one or more pumps 120. In some embodiments, the one or more pumps 120 are coupled to a controller 108, which can control the one or more pumps 120 to control the flow rate and / or volume of the material being transferred.

[0033] In one aspect of the present disclosure, waste batteries can be recycled using suitable equipment such as, for example, equipment 100. Specifically, in some embodiments, equipment such as equipment 100 can be used to recover electrode metals, such as aluminum and / or copper, from waste batteries.

[0034] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method 200 for recovering electrode metals from spent lithium-ion batteries according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 200 may include: at 202, separating electrodes from crushed lithium-ion batteries. At 204, contacting the separated electrode portions with a leaching solvent to form an electrode dispersion. At 206, heating the electrode dispersion to a temperature in a range from about 50°C to about 90°C by applying microwave radiation to the electrode dispersion. At 208, maintaining the temperature of the heated electrode dispersion in a range from about 50°C to about 90°C for a period in a range from about 10 seconds to about 5 minutes via controlled application of microwave radiation. At 210, filtering the electrode dispersion to obtain electrode metal.

[0035] In some embodiments, at 202, separating the electrode portions from the crushed lithium-ion battery can include steps such as, for example, separating the crushed portions via a series of sieves to separate materials of different sizes. For example, in some embodiments, separation can include using a suitable sieve to separate coarse fragments ranging in size from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, followed by further separating fine fragments ranging in size from about 50 μm to about 0.5 mm by using a second suitable sieve.

[0036] The separated fragments (e.g., coarse fragments) can be introduced into a reaction chamber where, at 204, the coarse fragments are contacted with a leaching solvent. In some embodiments, the leaching solvent can include an acid, such as, for example, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid, etc. In some embodiments, the leaching solvent can include more than one acid. In some embodiments, the leaching solvent can further include an oxidant, such as, for example, hydrogen peroxide or nitric acid. In some embodiments, the concentration of the leaching solvent acid can be in the range of from about 0.5N to about 10N. In some embodiments, the leaching solvent can have a pH of about 0. In some embodiments, the pH of the leaching solvent can be in the range of from about 0 to about 7.0. In some embodiments, the leaching solvent is introduced into the reaction chamber from a storage tank. The amount and rate of the leaching solvent introduced can be controlled via a controller.

[0037] Table 1 provides the concentrations of various materials used in the leaching solvent according to one example.

[0038] Table 1: Specifications of leaching solvents according to examples.

[0039]

[0040] When the leaching solvent is introduced into the reaction chamber, the leaching solvent and the coarse chips are stirred, for example using a stirrer (which may or may not be controlled by the controller), to form an electrode dispersion.

[0041] Then, at 206, microwave radiation is applied to the electrode dispersion to heat the electrode dispersion to a temperature in a range from about 50° C. to about 90° C. Thus, at 206, the electrode dispersion may be heated to a temperature of, for example, about 50° C., about 55° C., about 60° C., about 65° C., about 70° C., about 75° C., about 80° C., about 85° C., about 90° C., or any temperature between any two of these values.

[0042] In some embodiments, the application of microwave radiation is controlled by a controller that uses the temperature in the reaction chamber (e.g., determined using a temperature sensor coupled to the controller) as a feedback parameter. In some embodiments, the controller can be a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, although other types of controllers are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0043] Additionally, in some embodiments, the electrode dispersion in the reaction chamber is stirred while heating. Stirring of the electrode dispersion can help to more evenly distribute the heat generated by the application of microwave radiation through the electrode dispersion. Additionally or alternatively, the electrode dispersion can be sonicated during the heating process by applying, for example, ultrasound.

[0044] Once the temperature of the electrode dispersion reaches the desired value, microwave radiation is continued to be applied at 208 to maintain the temperature at the desired value for a period ranging from about 10 seconds to about 5 minutes. For example, the temperature of the electrode dispersion can be maintained at the desired value for about 10 seconds, about 15 seconds, about 20 seconds, about 25 seconds, about 30 seconds, about 35 seconds, about 40 seconds, about 45 seconds, about 50 seconds, about 55 seconds, about 60 seconds, about 70 seconds, about 80 seconds, about 90 seconds, about 100 seconds, about 120 seconds, about 140 seconds, about 160 seconds, about 180 seconds, about 200 seconds, about 220 seconds, about 240 seconds, about 260 seconds, about 280 seconds, about 300 seconds, or any amount of time between any two of these values.

[0045] In some embodiments, a controller (such as, for example, the same controller used in 206) is used to control the continuous application of microwave radiation at 208. It should be understood that the continuous application of microwave radiation does not necessarily mean that the microwave radiation is applied constantly. Therefore, in some embodiments, microwave radiation can be applied in pulses at 208. Each pulse can have a pulse width ranging from about 0.5 seconds to 5 seconds or longer. The microwave pulses may or may not have the same peak power. Therefore, in some embodiments, the continuous application of microwave radiation can include the application of pulse waves of microwave radiation and control parameters such as, for example, pulse width, peak power of the pulses, pulse rate, and the total amount of time that microwave radiation is applied to the electrode dispersion.

[0046] Additionally, ultrasound may be used to agitate and / or sonicate the electrode dispersion at 208 in order to more evenly disperse heat generated by the application of microwave radiation through the electrode dispersion.

[0047] After maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion for a predetermined period of time, the electrode dispersion is filtered at 210. In some embodiments, the electrode dispersion can be cooled to room temperature before filtering at 210. In some embodiments, filtering the electrode dispersion can include passing the electrode dispersion through one or more filters, screens, or sieves. In some embodiments, the filters, screens, or sieves can be designed or selected to enable separation of solid matter having different sizes. For example, a first screen, filter or sieve may be a solid material having a separation size greater than about 5 mm; a second screen, filter or sieve may be a solid material having a size in the range from about 1 mm to about 5 mm; a third screen, filter or sieve may be a solid material having a size in the range from about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm; a fourth screen, filter or sieve may be a solid material having a size in the range from about 100 μm to about 500 μm; a fifth screen, filter or sieve may be a solid material having a size in the range from about 10 μm to about 100 μm; a sixth screen, filter or sieve may be a solid material having a size in the range from about 1 μm to about 10 μm; and so on.

[0048] In an embodiment where the spent batteries are shredded in such a manner that the fragments of the electrode portion have a size ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, the filtering performed at 210 can effectively separate the clean electrode metal fragments from the remaining solid matter including the black matter. It should be understood that the salts of the valuable metals from the black matter are dissolved in the leaching solvent, and the filtering process removes the insoluble portion of the black matter. Therefore, the metal fragments obtained after the filtering process can be pure metal with graphite powder.

[0049] Example

[0050] The content of various materials present in different types of lithium ion batteries was analyzed. Tables 2 to 7 provide the weight percentages of various materials present in different parts of the battery in different types of lithium batteries.

[0051] Table 2: Lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) battery

[0052]

[0053] Table 3: Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum (LNCA) Battery

[0054]

[0055]

[0056] Table 4: Nickel, manganese and cobalt each account for 1 / 3 in active cathode (NMC111) batteries

[0057]

[0058] Table 5: Active cathode (NMC622) battery with nickel, manganese and cobalt in a 60 / 20 / 20% ratio

[0059]

[0060]

[0061] Table 6: Active cathode (NMC811) battery with nickel, manganese and cobalt accounting for 80 / 10 / 10%

[0062]

[0063] Table 7: Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery

[0064]

[0065] 100 kg of LCO, LNCA, NMC622 and LFP (contributing 25 wt%) cells were recycled using the process disclosed herein to recover electrode metals.

[0066] Table 8 provides the amount of electrode metal recovered after the process.

[0067] Table 8: Amounts of metals (salts) recovered after precipitation.

[0068] Compound Quantity(kg) <![CDATA[FePO4]]> 13.53 <![CDATA[Al(OH)3]]> 3.34 <h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"><![CDATA[C <h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> O <h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> CO3<h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> 23.22 <![CDATA[CuCO3]]> 3.95 <![CDATA[MnCO3]]> 3.35 <![CDATA[NiCO3]]> 24.31 <![CDATA[Li2CO3]]> 38.7

[0069] Further considerations

[0070] In some embodiments, any one of the clauses herein can be subordinate to any one of the independent clauses or any one of the dependent clauses.On the one hand, any one of the clauses (e.g., dependent clauses or independent clauses) can be combined with any other one or more clauses (e.g., dependent clauses or independent clauses).On the one hand, the claim can include some or all of the words (e.g., steps, operations, devices or components) listed in clauses, sentences, phrases or paragraphs.On the one hand, the claim can include some or all of the words quoted in one or more clauses, sentences, phrases or paragraphs.On the one hand, some words in each of clauses, sentences, phrases or paragraphs can be deleted.On the one hand, additional words or elements can be added to clauses, sentences, phrases or paragraphs.On the one hand, the subject technology can be implemented without utilizing some of the components, elements, functions or operations described herein.On the one hand, the subject technology can be implemented utilizing additional components, elements, functions or operations.

[0071] For example, the subject technology is illustrated according to the various aspects described below. For convenience, various examples of various aspects of the subject technology are described as numbered clauses (1, 2, 3, etc.). These are provided as examples and do not limit the subject technology. It should be noted that any dependent clauses can be combined in any combination and placed in corresponding independent clauses, such as clause 1 or clause 5. Other clauses can be proposed in a similar manner.

[0072] Item 1. A method for obtaining a metal from an electrode of a lithium-ion battery, the method comprising: separating an electrode portion from a crushed Li-ion battery; contacting a leaching solvent with the separated electrode portion to form an electrode dispersion; heating the electrode dispersion to a temperature in the range of from 50°C to 90°C by applying microwave radiation; maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion in the range of from 50°C to 90°C for a period in the range of from 10 seconds to 5 minutes by further applying microwave radiation to the heated electrode dispersion; and filtering the electrode dispersion to obtain the metal.

[0073] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the metal comprises one of aluminum, copper, and iron.

[0074] Clause 3. The method of clause 1, wherein the leaching solvent comprises sulfuric acid.

[0075] Clause 4. The method according to clause 1, wherein the leaching solvent has a pH in the range of from 0 to 7.0.

[0076] Clause 5. The method of Clause 1, wherein heating the electrode dispersion further comprises stirring the electrode dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

[0077] Clause 6. The method of Clause 1, wherein maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion comprises controlling the application of the microwave radiation using a controller.

[0078] Clause 7. The method of Clause 1, wherein heating the electrode dispersion comprises heating the electrode dispersion to a temperature in a range from 60°C to 80°C.

[0079] Clause 8. The method of Clause 1, wherein maintaining the temperature comprises maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion in a range from 60°C to 80°C for a period in a range from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

[0080] Clause 9. The method of Clause 1, wherein the electrode portion comprises an electrode metal and a black substance comprising graphite and a metal oxide.

[0081] Clause 10. The method of Clause 9, wherein filtering the electrode dispersion comprises filtering the electrode dispersion through a sieve to obtain the graphite powder.

[0082] Clause 11. The method of Clause 1, wherein heating the electrode dispersion further comprises continuously stirring the electrode dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

[0083] Clause 12. The method of Clause 1, wherein maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion further comprises continuously stirring the electrode dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

[0084] Clause 13. A system for recycling used lithium-ion batteries, the system comprising: a crusher configured to crush the cells of the used lithium-ion batteries into fragments; a cleaning chamber configured to clean the fragments; one or more storage tanks configured to store chemicals; one or more reaction chambers connected to the one or more storage tanks via one or more pumps and valves, at least one of the one or more reaction chambers connected to a microwave generator, the microwave generator configured to provide microwave radiation to the reactants in the at least one reaction chamber; and a controller. The controller is configured to: control the one or more pumps and / or one or more valves to adjust the transfer rate and amount of chemicals transferred from the one or more storage tanks to the corresponding reaction chambers in the one or more reaction chambers, and control the microwave generator to adjust the amount of microwave radiation provided to the at least one reaction chamber to heat the reactants in the at least one reaction chamber to a temperature within a predetermined range, and maintain the temperature of the reactants within the predetermined range for a predetermined period of time. The cleaned fragments are disposed in a first reaction chamber of the one or more reaction chambers to contact with a leaching solvent, the first reaction chamber being one of the at least one reaction chambers connected to the microwave generator.

[0085] Clause 14. The system of Clause 13, wherein at least one of the one or more reaction chambers comprises an agitator configured to agitate reactants therein.

[0086] Clause 15. The system of Clause 13, wherein the crusher comprises a chamber configured to be maintained under vacuum and / or with an inert atmosphere.

[0087] Clause 16. The system of Clause 13, wherein the leaching solvent comprises sulfuric acid and an oxidant.

[0088] Clause 17. The system of Clause 13, wherein the predetermined temperature range is from 50°C to 90°C.

[0089] Clause 18. The system of clause 13, wherein the predetermined time period is in the range from 10 seconds to 5 minutes.

[0090] Clause 19. The system of Clause 13, wherein the leaching solvent has a pH in the range from 0 to 7.0.

[0091] Clause 20. The system of Clause 13, wherein maintaining the temperature comprises maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion in a range from 60°C to 80°C for a period in a range from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

[0092] The previous description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various configurations described herein. Although the subject technology has been described in detail with reference to various drawings and configurations, it should be understood that these are only for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the subject technology.

[0093] There may be many other ways to implement the subject technology. Without departing from the scope of the subject technology, the various functions and elements described herein may be divided in a manner different from those shown. Various modifications to these configurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applicable to other configurations. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art may make many changes and modifications to the subject technology without departing from the scope of the subject technology.

[0094] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed process is an illustration of an exemplary method. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the process can be rearranged. Some steps can be performed simultaneously. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in an example order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0095] As used herein, the term "about" preceding a quantity indicates a difference from that quantity. The difference may be caused by manufacturing tolerances, or may be due to differences in measurement techniques. In some cases, the difference from the listed value may be as high as 10%. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the difference in a particular quantity may be context-dependent, and thus, for example, a difference in size on the micrometer or nanometer scale may be different from a difference on the meter scale.

[0096] As used herein, the phrase "at least one" preceding a list of items, and the terms "and" or "or" used to separate any item, modifies the list as a whole rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase "at least one" does not require selection of at least one of each item listed; rather, the phrase allows for the inclusion of a meaning of at least one of any one item, and / or at least one of any combination of these items, and / or at least one of each item. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" each refers to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and / or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

[0097] Terms such as "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", etc. used in this disclosure should be understood to refer to an arbitrary reference frame, not the ordinary gravitational reference frame. Thus, the top surface, bottom surface, front surface, and rear surface may extend upward, downward, diagonally, or horizontally in the gravitational reference frame.

[0098] Additionally, to the extent that the terms "including," "having," and the like are used in the specification or claims, such terms are intended to be open-ended in a manner similar to the term "comprising," in that "comprising" when used is interpreted as a transitional word in a claim term.

[0099] The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations.

[0100] Unless explicitly stated, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one," but rather "one or more." Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter (e.g., her and its), and vice versa. The term "some" refers to one or more. Underlined and / or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referenced in conjunction with an explanation of the description of the subject technology. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later become known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the subject technology. In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public, regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly stated in the above description.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a metal salt from a waste lithium ion (Li ion) battery, the method comprising: Separating electrode parts from crushed lithium-ion batteries; contacting a leaching solvent with the separated electrode portions to form an electrode dispersion; heating the first dispersion to a temperature in the range of from 50° C. to 90° C. by applying microwave radiation; maintaining the temperature of the first dispersion in a range from 50° C. to 90° C. for a period in a range from 10 seconds to 5 minutes by further applying microwave radiation to the heated first dispersion; The electrode dispersion is filtered to obtain the metal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The metal includes one of iron, aluminum and copper.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The leaching solvent includes sulfuric acid.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The leaching solvent further includes an oxidizing agent.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The oxidizing agent is hydrogen peroxide.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The leaching solvent has a pH in the range from 0 to 7.

0.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: Heating the electrode dispersion further includes stirring the electrode dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: Maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion includes controlling the application of the microwave radiation using a controller.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: Heating the electrode dispersion includes heating the electrode dispersion to a temperature in a range from 60°C to 80°C.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: Maintaining the temperature includes maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion in a range from 60° C. to 80° C. for a period in a range from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The electrode portion includes an electrode metal and a black substance including graphite and a metal oxide.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: Filtering the electrode dispersion includes filtering the electrode dispersion through a sieve to obtain graphite powder.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: Heating the electrode dispersion further includes continuously stirring the electrode dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: Maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion further comprises continuously stirring the electrode dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

15. A system for recycling waste lithium-ion batteries, the system comprising: A crusher, the crusher being configured to crush the cells of the waste lithium-ion batteries into fragments; a cleaning chamber configured to clean the debris; one or more storage tanks configured to store chemicals; one or more reaction chambers, the one or more reaction chambers coupled to the one or more storage tanks via one or more pumps and valves, at least one of the one or more reaction chambers coupled to a microwave generator, the microwave generator configured to provide microwave radiation to reactants in the at least one reaction chamber; as well as A controller, the controller being configured to: controlling the one or more pumps and / or the one or more valves to adjust the transfer rate and amount of the chemical species transferred from the one or more storage tanks to the corresponding reaction chambers of the one or more reaction chambers, and controlling the microwave generator to adjust the amount of microwave radiation provided to the at least one reaction chamber to heat the reactants in the at least one reaction chamber to a temperature within a predetermined range and maintain the temperature of the reactants within the predetermined range for a predetermined period of time, The cleaned debris is disposed in a first reaction chamber of the one or more reaction chambers to contact with a leaching solvent, the first reaction chamber being one of the at least one reaction chamber coupled to the microwave generator.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein: At least one reaction chamber of the one or more reaction chambers includes an agitator configured to agitate the reactants therein.

17. A system according to any one of claims 15 to 16, wherein: The crusher includes a chamber configured to be maintained under vacuum and / or with an inert atmosphere.

18. A system according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein: The leaching solvent includes sulfuric acid.

19. A system according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The predetermined temperature ranges from 50°C to 90°C.

20. A system according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein: The predetermined time period ranges from 10 seconds to 5 minutes.

21. A system according to any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein: The leaching solvent has a pH in the range from 0 to 7.

0.

22. A system according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein: Maintaining the temperature includes maintaining the temperature of the electrode dispersion in a range from 60° C. to 80° C. for a period in a range from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

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