Recycling device and recycling method for waste batteries

Abstract

The invention provides a waste battery recycling device and method, and belongs to the technical field of waste battery recycling. The waste battery recycling device comprises at least one separation unit, the separation unit comprises a separator and a spraying system, and the separator comprises a shell and a separation cylinder; the shell is provided with a feeding port, a first discharging port and a second discharging port. The separation barrel is rotationally arranged in the shell and is communicated between the feeding opening and the first discharging opening, and the barrel wall of the separation barrel is arranged to be in a screen shape; the spraying system comprises a spraying head, the spraying head is arranged in the shell, and the output end of the spraying head is arranged to face the separating cylinder. The recovery rate of the current collector can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of waste battery recycling, and particularly relates to a recycling device and a recycling method for waste batteries. Background Art

[0002] The recycling and treatment of waste batteries can not only reduce environmental pollution, but also achieve the recycling of resources to create considerable economic efficiency. Currently, most recycling devices for waste batteries use a crushing device to crush the electrode sheets and then use vibration screening to separate the current collector from the active material. This device has the problem of poor separation effect, resulting in a low recovery rate of the current collector. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, this application provides a recycling device and a recycling method for waste batteries, aiming to improve the recovery rate of the current collector.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a recycling device for waste batteries, including at least one separation unit. The separation unit includes a separator and a spraying system. The separator includes a housing and a separation cylinder; the housing is provided with a feed inlet, a first discharge outlet, and a second discharge outlet; the separation cylinder is rotatably arranged in the housing, the separation cylinder is connected between the feed inlet and the first discharge outlet, and the wall of the separation cylinder is set as a screen mesh; the spraying system includes a spray head, the spray head is arranged in the housing, and the output end of the spray head is set to face the separation cylinder.

[0005] In the technical solution of the embodiment of this application, the separation unit includes a separator. The housing of the separator is used for adding solvent, and the separation cylinder is used for adding electrode sheet fragments, so that the soaking treatment of the electrode sheet fragments can be realized, which helps the separation of the active material from the current collector; the separation cylinder is rotatably arranged, and stirring assistance can be carried out during the soaking process, which helps to improve the dissolution of the binder, thereby further improving the separation efficiency of the active material; the separation unit also includes a spraying system. When the separation cylinder rotates, it will carry some electrode sheet fragments attached. By spraying the solvent through the spray head to wash the electrode sheet fragments attached to the wall of the separation cylinder, the electrode sheet fragments can be fully soaked, which helps to improve the separation efficiency of the active material. Therefore, this application can improve the recovery efficiency of the current collector. In addition, the wall of the separation cylinder of this application is a screen mesh, and the separated active material can be discharged from the separation cylinder, while the current collector remains in the separation cylinder, that is, this application can realize the integrated treatment of electrode sheet soaking and separation, which helps to simplify the treatment process of the recycling device.

[0006] In some embodiments, the separation unit further includes an ultrasonic transducer, and the ultrasonic transducer is arranged on the housing.

[0007] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, ultrasonic vibration treatment is performed through an ultrasonic transducer, which can further improve the detachment efficiency of the active material.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first separator further includes a first screw conveyor structure, which is arranged in the separation cylinder and extends to the first discharge port.

[0009] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, after the soaking treatment of the electrode piece fragments ends, the electrode piece fragments after separating the active material can be discharged from the first discharge port to the next-stage separation unit or subsequent processing unit through the first screw conveyor structure, which can realize the high-efficiency conveying of materials.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first separator further includes a second screw conveyor structure, which is arranged at the second discharge port and is provided with a blanking port.

[0011] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, after the soaking treatment of the electrode piece fragments ends, the active material slurry can be discharged from the blanking port through the second screw conveyor structure for collection or discharged to the subsequent processing unit, which can realize the high-efficiency conveying of the active material slurry.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second screw conveyor structure includes a first screw blade and a second screw blade, the spiral directions of the first screw blade and the second screw blade are opposite, and the blanking port is arranged between the first screw blade and the second screw blade.

[0013] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the active material slurry is conveyed from both sides to the middle by the first screw blade and the second screw blade with opposite spiral directions, which helps to improve the conveying efficiency.

[0014] In some embodiments, the recycling device for waste batteries includes at least two separation units, the first discharge port of one separation unit is communicated with the feed port of another separation unit; the housing of one separation unit is communicated with the housing of another separation unit.

[0015] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the separation efficiency can be further improved by separating the electrode piece fragments through at least two separation units; connecting the housings of the two separation units can recycle the solvent, which helps to save resources.

[0016] In some embodiments, the recycling device for waste batteries further includes a drying unit, and the drying unit includes a dryer; the dryer is provided with a drying feed port and a drying discharge port, the drying feed port is communicated with the first discharge port of the separation unit, and the drying discharge port is configured to be communicated with a briquetting machine.

[0017] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the current collector after separating the active material can be dried by the drying unit to remove the solvent, and the dried current collector can be recycled after being pressed by a briquetting machine.

[0018] In some embodiments, the drying unit further includes a tail gas condensation structure, and the tail gas condensation structure is communicated with the dryer.

[0019] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the tail gas in the drying unit can be condensed and recovered by the tail gas condensation structure, and the solvent can be recovered, thereby further saving resources.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present application provides a method for recycling waste batteries, using the recycling device described above to recycle waste batteries.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method for recycling waste batteries includes: providing pole piece fragments, the size of the pole piece fragments being larger than the mesh size of the separation cylinder; injecting a solvent into the housing and immersing at least a part of the separation cylinder in the solvent, and putting the pole piece fragments into the separation cylinder from the feed port to soak the pole piece fragments; controlling the rotation of the separation cylinder to assist in the shedding of the active material on the pole piece fragments by stirring, and controlling the spraying system to make the spray head spray the solvent to wash the pole piece fragments attached to the inner wall of the separation cylinder; after the soaking is completed, discharging the pole piece fragments from the first discharge port for subsequent processing, and discharging the active material from the second discharge port for subsequent processing.

[0022] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the housing of the first separator is used for adding the solvent, and the separation cylinder is used for adding the pole piece fragments, so that the soaking treatment of the pole piece fragments can be realized, which helps the separation of the active material from the current collector; controlling the rotation of the separation cylinder can assist in stirring during the soaking process, which helps to improve the dissolution of the binder, thereby further improving the separation efficiency of the active material; spraying the solvent through the spray head to wash the pole piece fragments attached to the inner wall of the separation cylinder can fully soak the pole piece fragments, which helps to improve the separation efficiency of the active material.

[0023] In some embodiments, the size of the pole piece fragments is 1 cm - 2 cm.

[0024] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, when the size of the pole piece fragments is between 1 cm and 2 cm, they are not easily folded during the stirring process, thereby reducing the risk that some active materials are wrapped due to the wrinkling of the pole piece fragments and cannot be effectively separated, which helps to improve the separation efficiency of the active material.

[0025] In some embodiments, the rotation speed of the separation cylinder is 0.2 r / min - 1 r / min.

[0026] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, when the rotation speed of the separation cylinder is between 0.2 r / min and 1 r / min, it is beneficial to the separation of the active substance from the current collector, and it is also beneficial to the precipitation and separation of the active substance in the solvent.

[0027] In some embodiments, the step of soaking the electrode piece fragments further includes an ultrasonic-assisted separation step, and the ultrasonic-assisted separation step includes: after the electrode piece fragments are soaked in the solvent for a first duration t1, starting ultrasonic treatment for a second duration t2, and the second duration t2 is less than the first duration t1; the total soaking duration t of the electrode piece fragments in the solvent is the sum of the first duration t1 and the second duration t2, and t satisfies: 30 min ≤ t ≤ 60 min.

[0028] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, starting ultrasonic treatment after the electrode piece fragments are soaked for the first duration t1, and the second duration t2 of the ultrasonic treatment being less than the first duration t1 can reduce the risk of the current collector being damaged and generating debris due to too long ultrasonic treatment, help improve the quality of the recycled current collector, and help improve the purity of the recycled active substance.

[0029] In some embodiments, the step of discharging the electrode piece fragments from the first discharge port for subsequent treatment includes: performing secondary separation treatment on the electrode piece fragments, then drying at 250°C - 300°C, and recovering the tail gas during the drying process through a condensation structure.

[0030] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, performing secondary separation treatment on the electrode piece fragments helps to further improve the separation efficiency of the active substance. Drying at 250°C - 300°C can remove the solvent of the electrode piece fragments to recover the current collector, and recovering the tail gas during the drying process through a condensation structure can recover the solvent to achieve recycling. Description of the Drawings

[0031] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a recycling device for waste batteries in some embodiments of the present application; Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a recycling device for waste batteries in some other embodiments of the present application; Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a recycling device for waste batteries in some other embodiments of the present application.

[0032] Description of the Reference Numerals: Separation unit 100, separator 11, housing 111, feed inlet 1111, first discharge outlet 1112, second discharge outlet 1113, feed pipe 1114, first discharge pipe 1115, separation cylinder 112, first screw conveyor structure 113, second screw conveyor structure 114, discharge opening 1141, first screw blade 1142, second screw blade 1143, trough 1144, screw shaft 1145, drive mechanism 1146, spraying system 12, spray head 121, spray pipeline 122, ultrasonic transducer 13; Drying unit 200, dryer 21, drying feed inlet 211, drying discharge outlet 212, tail gas condensation structure 22; Press 300. Specific embodiments

[0033] The following embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application more clearly, so they are only examples and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish different objects and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity, specific order or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "a plurality of" means more than two unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0036] Referring to "embodiments" herein means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments can be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The phrase appears in various places in the specification and does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "plurality" refers to two or more (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to two or more groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more pieces (including two pieces). The term "at least one" means one or more.

[0039] Waste batteries contain a large amount of lithium compounds, inorganic salts, graphite, elemental copper, elemental aluminum and other substances. These substances all have high recycling value, and some substances (such as lithium compounds, etc.) will seriously pollute the environment if directly discarded without treatment.

[0040] In some embodiments, the waste battery is crushed by a crushing device, and the crushed material is transported to a vibrating screen for separation by water flushing. Water and fine active substances pass through the vibrating screen for collection, and large metal slag falls into the metal slag collection pool from the inclined surface of the vibrating screen, thereby realizing the separation of metal and active substances. However, this recycling device only relies on crushing and water flushing to make the active substances fall off the metal, resulting in the problem of low separation efficiency of active substances. Chemical methods (such as acid leaching, solvent extraction, etc.) can more efficiently separate the current collector and active substances. It is possible to consider providing a recycling device that relies on chemical methods to separate active substances.

[0041] Based on the above considerations, the present application provides a recycling device for waste batteries. Referring to Figure 1 As shown, it includes at least one separation unit 100. The separation unit 100 includes a separator 11 and a spraying system 12. The separator 11 includes a housing 111 and a separation cylinder 112; the housing 111 is provided with a feed inlet 1111, a first discharge outlet 1112 and a second discharge outlet 1113; the separation cylinder 112 is rotatably arranged in the housing 111, the separation cylinder 112 is connected between the feed inlet 1111 and the first discharge outlet 1112, and the cylinder wall of the separation cylinder 112 is set as a sieve mesh; the spraying system 12 includes a spray head 121, the spray head 121 is arranged in the housing 111, and the output end of the spray head 121 is set to face the separation cylinder 112.

[0042] The separator 11 is used to realize the soaking and separation of the electrode sheet fragments. The housing 111 is for accommodating the separation cylinder 112 and injecting the solvent, so as to Figure 1 For example, the bottom of the housing 111 in the working state can be inclined, which helps the separated active substance slurry to concentrate towards the second discharge outlet 1113. In some embodiments, the housing 111 can be set as a cage shape.

[0043] The feed inlet 1111 is used for feeding the electrode sheet fragments. For convenient feeding, a feed pipe 1114 is connected to the feed inlet 1111. Taking Figure 1For example, the feed inlet 1111 is horizontally opened to the left, and the feed pipe 1114 is set to be bent so that the opening of the feed pipe 1114 faces upward. At this time, the bent portion of the feed pipe 1114 is set to be inclined to reduce the accumulation of materials at the bent portion.

[0044] The first discharge port 1112 is used for discharging the separated electrode sheet fragments. In order to facilitate the transportation to the subsequent processing unit, a first discharge pipe 1115 is also connected to the first discharge port 1112. Figure 1 For example, the first discharge port 1112 is horizontally opened to the right, and the first discharge pipe 1115 is set to be bent so that the opening of the first discharge pipe 1115 faces downward, which is convenient for discharging materials. Similarly, the pipe wall of the first discharge pipe 1115 is set to be inclined. The second discharge port 1113 is used for discharging the separated active materials.

[0045] In some embodiments, with continued reference to Figure 1 as shown, the feed inlet 1111 and the first discharge port 1112 can be distributed along the horizontal direction, that is, the heights of the feed inlet 1111 and the first discharge port 1112 are kept the same. This is conducive to the uniform distribution of the electrode sheet fragments in the separation cylinder 112, thereby helping to fully immerse the electrode sheet fragments; the second discharge port 1113 is arranged at the bottom end of the housing 111 in the working state, so that the active materials can naturally fall to the second discharge port 1113 under the action of gravity. The second discharge port 1113 can be formed by opening the bottom end of the housing 111. Of course, in some other embodiments, the first discharge port 1112 can also be arranged lower than the feed inlet 1111, which helps to output the soaked electrode sheet fragments.

[0046] The separation cylinder 112 is used to accommodate the electrode sheet fragments. When the separation cylinder 112 is arranged between the feed inlet 1111 and the first discharge port 1112, the electrode sheet fragments put in from the feed inlet 1111 can directly enter the separation cylinder 112. Figure 1 For example, the bottom of the separation cylinder 112 in the working state can also be inclined, which helps the electrode sheet fragments to concentrate in the middle area of the separation cylinder 112. However, the shape of the separation cylinder 112 is not limited to this. The rotational setting of the separation cylinder 112 can provide stirring assistance during the soaking process of the electrode sheet fragments, which helps to improve the separation efficiency of the active materials. The application does not specifically limit the rotational setting structure of the separation cylinder 112. The cylinder wall of the separation cylinder 112 being set as a sieve mesh means that a number of through holes are opened on the cylinder wall of the separation cylinder 112, and the size of the through holes needs to be larger than the size of the electrode sheet fragments. In this way, the separated active materials can be discharged from the through holes, while the electrode sheet fragments are intercepted in the separation cylinder 112. This can realize the integrated processing of electrode soaking and separation, thereby helping to simplify the processing flow of the recycling device. In some embodiments, the separation cylinder 112 can be directly made of a sieve mesh.

[0047] The spray system 12 is used to supplement the solvent on the one hand and can wash the electrode piece fragments attached to the inner wall of the separation cylinder 112 on the other hand. For Figure 1 example, the spray system 12 includes a spray pipeline 122, and a plurality of spray heads 121 are arranged on the spray pipeline 122. The spray pipeline 122 and the spray heads 121 are both located above the separation cylinder 112, and at this time, the output ends of the spray heads 121 are arranged downward. When the separation cylinder 112 rotates and carries some electrode piece fragments out of the solvent, the solvent sprayed by the spray heads 121 will wash off the electrode piece fragments attached to the inner wall of the separation cylinder 112. On the one hand, it can prevent the screen of the separation cylinder 112 from being blocked, and on the other hand, it can make the attached electrode piece fragments fall back into the solvent for sufficient soaking, which helps to further improve the separation efficiency of the active material and thus improve the recovery rate of the current collector.

[0048] According to some embodiments of the present application, the separation unit 100 further includes an ultrasonic transducer 13, and the ultrasonic transducer 13 is arranged on the housing 111.

[0049] The ultrasonic transducer 13 is an energy conversion device that can convert high-frequency electrical energy into mechanical vibration (ultrasonic waves), and is generally driven by an ultrasonic generator. When the ultrasonic transducer 13 is arranged on the housing 111, it can make the liquid in the housing 111 vibrate, thereby helping the detachment of the active material. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 13 can be arranged at the bottom of the housing 111, or ultrasonic transducers 13 can be respectively arranged on both sides of the bottom of the housing 111 to improve the ultrasonic vibration efficiency.

[0050] According to some embodiments of the present application, further referring to Figure 1 as shown, the first separator 11 further includes a first screw conveyor structure 113, and the first screw conveyor structure 113 is arranged in the separation cylinder 112, and the first screw conveyor structure 113 extends to the first discharge port 1112.

[0051] The screw conveyor structure is a transmission structure that uses a rotating screw blade to push materials to move along a set direction. Its core component is the screw blade, which can generate a propulsive force when rotating, so as to realize the transportation of materials.

[0052] For Figure 1For example, the first screw conveyor structure 113 is fixed to the inner wall of the separation cylinder 112 to achieve synchronous rotation with the separation cylinder 112. When the first screw conveyor structure 113 is a left-handed structure, the separation cylinder 112 rotates counterclockwise to achieve material conveyance, and rotates clockwise to play a stirring role; when the first screw conveyor structure 113 is a right-handed structure, the separation cylinder 112 rotates clockwise to achieve material conveyance, and rotates counterclockwise to play a stirring role; that is, only when the separation cylinder 112 rotates in a specific direction can material conveyance be achieved, and when soaking the pole piece fragments, the separation cylinder 112 is set to rotate in the reverse direction to stir the pole piece fragments.

[0053] The first screw conveyor structure 113 extending to the first discharge port 1112 means that after the soaking treatment, the pole piece fragments can be conveyed and discharged from the feed port 1111 direction to the first discharge port 1112 direction when the separation cylinder 112 rotates in a specific direction, thereby achieving high-efficiency conveyance of the current collector material.

[0054] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first separator 11 further includes a second screw conveyor structure 114, the second screw conveyor structure 114 is disposed at the second discharge port 1113, and the second screw conveyor structure 114 is provided with a blanking port 1141.

[0055] For Figure 1 example, the second screw conveyor structure 114 is horizontally disposed at the second discharge port 1113, and includes a trough 1144, a screw shaft 1145, screw blades, and a driving mechanism 1146. The top of the trough 1144 is open to receive the material falling from the second discharge port 1113. The screw shaft 1145 extends along the axial direction of the trough 1144 and is rotatably disposed on the trough 1144. The driving mechanism 1146 is disposed outside the trough 1144, and its output shaft is connected to the screw shaft 1145 to drive the screw shaft 1145 to rotate. The screw blades are wound around the screw shaft 1145 and can rotate synchronously with the screw shaft 1145.

[0056] The blanking port 1141 is used for discharging the active material slurry. The blanking port 1141 is specifically communicated with the trough 1144, but the position of the blanking port 1141 on the trough 1144 is not specifically limited in the present application. It can be set at the middle position of the trough 1144 or at the two end regions.

[0057] When the soaking treatment of the pole piece fragments is completed, the active material slurry can be discharged and collected through the second screw conveyor structure 114 from the blanking port 1141 or discharged to the subsequent processing unit, and high-efficiency conveyance of the active material slurry can be achieved.

[0058] According to some embodiments of the present application, further referring to Figure 1As shown, the second screw conveyor structure 114 includes a first screw blade 1142 and a second screw blade 1143. The spiral directions of the first screw blade 1142 and the second screw blade 1143 are opposite, and the material discharge port 1141 is arranged between the first screw blade 1142 and the second screw blade 1143.

[0059] That the second screw conveyor structure 114 includes a first screw blade 1142 and a second screw blade 1143 means that the screw blades are composed of the first screw blade 1142 and the second screw blade 1143. The opposite spiral directions of the first screw blade 1142 and the second screw blade 1143 mean that the material conveying directions of the first screw blade 1142 and the second screw blade 1143 are opposite. In some embodiments, the first screw blade 1142 can be set as a right-handed blade, and the second screw blade 1143 can be set as a left-handed blade. In this way, when the screw shaft 1145 rotates clockwise, the first screw blade 1142 will push the material to move from left to the middle, and the second screw blade 1143 will push the material to move from right to the middle, so that the material is discharged from the material discharge port 1141 located in the middle. It is also possible to set the first screw blade 1142 as a left-handed blade and the second screw blade 1143 as a right-handed blade. In this way, when the screw shaft 1145 rotates counterclockwise, the first screw blade 1142 will push the material to move from left to the middle, and the second screw blade 1143 will push the material to move from right to the middle, so that the material is discharged from the material discharge port 1141 located in the middle.

[0060] The active substance slurry is conveyed from both sides to the middle by the first screw blade 1142 and the second screw blade 1143 with opposite spiral directions. The conveying distance is short, which helps to improve the conveying efficiency.

[0061] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the recycling device for waste batteries includes at least two separation units 100. The first discharge port 1112 of one separation unit 100 is communicated with the feed port 1111 of another separation unit 100; the housing 111 of one separation unit 100 is communicated with the housing 111 of another separation unit 100.

[0062] The communication between the first discharge port 1112 of one separation unit 100 and the feed port 1111 of another separation unit 100 can be realized by an expansion joint. Specifically, the first discharge pipe 1115 of one separation unit 100 is communicated with the feed pipe 1114 of another separation unit 100 through the expansion joint. Using the expansion joint for connection is not only convenient for installation and disassembly, but also can absorb a certain amount of vibration and noise.

[0063] The communication between the housing 111 of one separation unit 100 and the housing 111 of another separation unit 100 is for recycling the solvent. Figure 2For example, the communication between the housing 111 of one separation unit 100 and the housing 111 of another separation unit 100 means that the bottom of the housing 111 of the second separation processing unit is in communication with the bottom of the housing 111 of the first separation processing unit. In this way, the solvent in the second-stage separation processing unit can be pumped into the first separation unit for recycling, which helps to save resources.

[0064] The present application provides at least two separation units 100 to perform two-stage separation processing on the electrode sheet fragments, thereby further improving the separation efficiency.

[0065] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 3 As shown, the recycling device for waste batteries further includes a drying unit 200. The drying unit 200 includes a dryer 21; the dryer 21 is provided with a drying inlet 211 and a drying outlet 212. The drying inlet 211 is in communication with the first outlet 1112 of the separation unit 100, and the drying outlet 212 is configured to be in communication with the briquetting machine 300.

[0066] The drying unit 200 is used to remove the solvent from the current collector obtained after separating the active material. The current collector obtained after being separated by the separation unit 100 is transported from the drying inlet 211 to the inside of the dryer 21, and the dried current collector is then transported through the drying outlet 212 to the briquetting machine 300 for briquetting and recycling.

[0067] Continuing to refer to Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the dryer 21 includes a body and a heater. The body has the same structure as the separator 11, and the heater is provided inside the body.

[0068] According to some embodiments of the present application, continuing to refer to Figure 3 As shown, the drying unit 200 further includes a tail gas condensation structure 22, and the tail gas condensation structure 22 is in communication with the dryer 21.

[0069] The tail gas condensation structure 22 refers to a device that can cool and condense the gaseous solvent generated in the dryer 21 into a liquid, and can realize the recycling of the solvent. In some embodiments, the tail gas condensation structure 22 includes a condenser. The inlet pipe of the condenser is in communication with the top of the dryer 21, and the condenser is also connected to an outlet pipe, and the outlet pipe can be connected to a solvent storage tank for storage.

[0070] According to some embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a method for recycling waste batteries, using the recycling device described above to recycle waste batteries.

[0071] According to some embodiments of the present application, a method for recycling waste batteries includes: providing electrode piece fragments, where the size of the electrode piece fragments is larger than the mesh size of the separation cylinder 112; injecting a solvent into the housing 111 and immersing at least a part of the separation cylinder 112 in the solvent, and feeding the electrode piece fragments into the separation cylinder 112 from the feed port 1111 to soak the electrode piece fragments; controlling the rotation of the separation cylinder 112 to assist the shedding of the active substances on the electrode piece fragments through stirring, controlling the start of the spraying system 12, and enabling the spray head 121 to spray the solvent to wash the electrode piece fragments attached to the inner wall of the separation cylinder 112; after the soaking is completed, discharging the electrode piece fragments from the first discharge port 1112 for subsequent processing, and discharging the active substances from the second discharge port 1113 for subsequent processing.

[0072] The electrode piece fragments can be positive electrode piece fragments, which can be used to recycle aluminum foil and positive electrode active materials; the electrode piece fragments can also be negative electrode piece fragments, which can be used to recycle copper foil and negative electrode active materials.

[0073] The mesh size of the separation cylinder 112 refers to the size of the mesh holes on the inner wall of the separation cylinder 112. The fact that the size of the electrode piece fragments is larger than the mesh size of the separation cylinder 112 means that the short side size of the electrode piece fragments is larger than the long side size of the mesh holes, so that the electrode piece fragments will not pass through the mesh holes at any angle, which helps to reduce the metal impurities in the active substances. In some embodiments, the electrode piece fragments can be obtained by crushing the electrode pieces with a shredder.

[0074] The injection of the solvent can be input through the spraying system 12 or directly added from the feed port 1111, and the present application does not make specific limitations. In some embodiments, the solvent can be water, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), dimethylformamide (DMF), etc. N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), and dimethylformamide (DMF) can dissolve the binder polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), while water can dissolve the aqueous binder.

[0075] Immersing at least a part of the separation cylinder 112 in the solvent is to enable the electrode piece fragments to be soaked in the solvent, so as to promote the detachment of the active substances through solvent soaking. The rotation of the separation cylinder 112 can achieve the agitation of the electrode piece fragments, which helps to improve the dissolution of the binder and further improve the detachment efficiency of the active substances; spraying the solvent through the spray head 121 to wash the electrode piece fragments attached to the inner wall of the separation cylinder 112 can fully soak the electrode piece fragments and help to improve the detachment efficiency of the active substances.

[0076] After the active substances are discharged from the second discharge port 1113, processes such as primary filtration, fine filtration, color sorting, and iron removal treatment can be carried out, and the metal impurities in the active substances can be controlled within 100 ppm to improve the purity of the active substances.

[0077] According to some embodiments of the present application, the size of the electrode piece fragment is 1 cm - 2 cm.

[0078] The size of the electrode piece fragment being 1 cm - 2 cm means that the long side dimension of the electrode piece fragment is 1 cm - 2 cm. Exemplarily, the electrode piece fragment is rectangular, and its size can be 1 cm × 1 cm, 1 cm × 1.2 cm, 1 cm × 1.5 cm, 1 cm × 1.8 cm, 1 cm × 2 cm, 1.2 cm × 1.2 cm, 1.5 cm × 1.5 cm, 1.8 cm × 1.8 cm, or 2 cm × 2 cm. When the size of the electrode piece fragment is between 1 cm - 2 cm, it is not easily folded during the stirring process, thereby reducing the risk that part of the active material is wrapped and cannot be effectively separated due to the wrinkling of the electrode piece fragment, which helps to improve the separation efficiency of the active material.

[0079] According to some embodiments of the present application, the rotation speed of the separation cylinder 112 is 0.2 r / min - 1 r / min.

[0080] Exemplarily, the rotation speed of the separation cylinder 112 can be 0.2 r / min, 0.4 r / min, 0.6 r / min, 0.8 r / min, or 1 r / min. When the rotation speed of the separation cylinder 112 is between 0.2 r / min - 1 r / min, the centrifugal force is moderate, which is beneficial to the separation of the active material from the current collector and is also beneficial to the precipitation separation of the active material in the solvent.

[0081] According to some embodiments of the present application, the step of soaking the electrode piece fragment further includes an ultrasonic-assisted separation step, and the ultrasonic-assisted separation step includes: after the electrode piece fragment is soaked in the solvent for the first duration t1, starting ultrasonic treatment for the second duration t2, and the second duration t2 is less than the first duration t1; the total soaking duration t of the electrode piece fragment in the solvent is the sum of the first duration t1 and the second duration t2, and t satisfies: 30 min ≤ t ≤ 60 min.

[0082] Starting ultrasonic treatment for the second duration t2 after the electrode piece fragment is soaked in the solvent for the first duration t1 means that ultrasonic treatment is not performed during the process of the electrode piece fragment being soaked for the first duration t1, and ultrasonic treatment is started after the electrode piece fragment is soaked for the first duration t1. And the second duration t2 of the ultrasonic treatment being less than the first duration t1 can reduce the risk that the electrode piece fragment is damaged and generates debris due to too long ultrasonic treatment, which helps to improve the quality of the recovered current collector and helps to improve the purity of the recovered active material.

[0083] In some embodiments, the first duration t1 can be 20 min, 25 min, 30 min, 35 min, 40 min, or 45 min, and the corresponding second duration t2 can be 10 min, 11 min, 12 min, 13 min, 14 min, or 15 min.

[0084] According to some embodiments of the present application, the step of discharging the electrode piece fragments from the first discharge port 1112 for subsequent processing includes: performing secondary separation processing on the electrode piece fragments, then drying at 250°C - 300°C, and recovering the tail gas during the drying process through a condensation structure.

[0085] Performing secondary separation processing on the electrode piece fragments helps to further improve the separation efficiency of the active material. Drying at 250°C - 300°C can remove the solvent from the electrode piece fragments to recover the collector fluid, and recovering the tail gas during the drying process through a condensation structure can recover the solvent for recycling.

[0086] In some embodiments, when the drying temperature is 250°C - 300°C, the temperature of the condensation structure can be set to be less than or equal to 200°C, so that the gaseous solvent can be liquefied.

[0087] Embodiment Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described. The embodiments described below are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as a limitation to the present application. For those not specified in the embodiments regarding specific technologies or conditions, they shall be carried out according to the technologies or conditions described in the literature in the field or according to the product specifications. For reagents or instruments not indicated with the manufacturer, they are all conventional products that can be obtained through commercial purchase.

[0088] Embodiment 1 [Recycling Device for Waste Batteries] Reference Figure 3As shown, the recycling device for waste batteries includes two separation units 100 and a drying unit 200. The separation unit 100 includes a separator 11 and a spraying system 12. The separator 11 includes a housing 111, a separation cylinder 112, a first screw conveyor structure 113, and a second screw conveyor structure 114. The housing 111 is provided with a feed inlet 1111, a first discharge outlet 1112, and a second discharge outlet 1113. The feed inlet 1111 is opened on the left side of the housing 111, the first discharge outlet 1112 is opened on the right side of the housing 111 and is horizontally distributed with the feed inlet 1111, and the second discharge outlet 1113 is opened at the bottom end of the housing 111; a feed pipe 1114 is connected to the feed inlet 1111, and a first discharge pipe 1115 is connected to the first discharge outlet 1112. The separation cylinder 112 is arranged inside the housing 111 and is connected between the feed inlet 1111 and the first discharge outlet 1112. The barrel wall of the separation cylinder 112 is screen-shaped. The first screw conveyor structure 113 is fixed on the inner wall of the separation cylinder 112 and extends to the first discharge outlet 1112, and can rotate synchronously with the separation cylinder 112. The second screw conveyor structure 114 is arranged at the second discharge outlet 1113. The second screw conveyor structure 114 includes a trough 1144, a screw shaft 1145, a first screw blade 1142, a second screw blade 1143, and a driving mechanism 1146; the top of the trough 1144 is open and corresponds to the second discharge outlet 1113, and a blanking port 1141 is arranged at the middle position of the bottom wall of the trough 1144; the screw shaft 1145 is arranged axially inside the trough 1144 and penetrates through the trough 1144; both the first screw blade 1142 and the second screw blade 1143 are wound around the screw shaft 1145 and are located on both sides of the blanking port 1141. The first screw blade 1142 is a right-handed blade, and the second screw blade 1143 is a left-handed blade; the driving mechanism 1146 is arranged on the left side of the trough 1144, and its output end is connected to the screw shaft 1145. The spraying system 12 includes a spray head 121 and a spray pipeline 122. The spray pipeline 122 is located above the separation cylinder 112. The spray heads 121 are arranged on the spray pipeline 122, and the output ends of the spray heads 121 face downward. The structures of the two separation units 100 are the same. The first discharge outlet 1112 of one separation unit 100 is communicated with the feed inlet 1111 of the other separation unit 100 through an expansion joint. The bottom of the housing 111 of one separation unit 100 is communicated with the bottom of the housing 111 of the other separation unit 100 through a pipeline, and a transfer pump is arranged on the pipeline. The drying unit 200 includes a dryer 21 and a tail gas condensation structure 22. The dryer 21 is provided with a drying feed inlet 211 and a drying discharge outlet 212. The drying feed inlet 211 is communicated with the first discharge outlet 1112 of the separation unit 100 through an expansion joint, and the drying discharge outlet 212 is communicated with a briquetting machine 300 through an expansion joint.

[0089] [Recycling Method for Waste Batteries] The positive electrode sheet is crushed into sheet fragments with a size of 1 cm × 1 cm by a shredder. The sheet fragments are fed into the separation cylinder 112 from the feed inlet 1111 of the primary separation unit 100, and the solvent N-methylpyrrolidone is injected into the housing 111 of the primary separation unit 100 through the spraying system 12. The amount of solvent injection is based on the liquid level covering the bottom of the separation cylinder 112 to achieve the soaking of the sheet fragments. The separation cylinder 112 is controlled to rotate at a speed of 0.5 r / min, and the spraying system 12 is started. The positive active material falling off during the soaking process falls into the trough 1144 of the second spiral conveying structure 114 from the second discharge port 1113 and is conveyed to the discharge port 1141 through the first spiral blade 1142 and the second spiral blade 1143 for discharge. After rotating and soaking for 45 min, the separation cylinder 112 is controlled to rotate in the reverse direction to convey the sheet fragments into the secondary separation unit 100. After the sheet fragments are soaked and processed in the secondary separation unit 100 for 30 min, aluminum foil is obtained. Then, the aluminum foil is conveyed into the drying unit 200 for drying treatment. The drying temperature is 280 °C, and the dried aluminum foil is conveyed to the briquetting machine 300 for briquetting treatment. The discharged positive active material slurry is first filtered through a 100-mesh filter screen, then finely filtered through a 300-mesh filter bag, the aluminum chips are removed by laser color sorting, and the magnetic impurities are removed by an electromagnetic separator to obtain the positive electrode recycled powder.

[0090] Example 2 Different from Example 1, in this example, the rotation speed of the separation cylinder is 1 r / min.

[0091] Example 3 Different from Example 1, in this example, the rotation speed of the separation cylinder is 0.2 r / min.

[0092] Example 4 Different from Example 1, in this example, the size of the positive electrode sheet fragments is 2 cm × 2 cm.

[0093] Example 5 Different from Example 1, in this example, an ultrasonic transducer is also provided at the bottom of the housing of the primary separation unit. When the sheet fragments rotate and soak for 30 min, the ultrasonic transducer is started for ultrasonic treatment for 15 min, and the ultrasonic frequency is 22 kHz. The subsequent treatment steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0094] Example 6 Different from Example 1, in this example, an ultrasonic transducer is also provided at the bottom of the housing of the primary separation unit. When the sheet fragments rotate and soak for 37 min, the ultrasonic transducer is started for ultrasonic treatment for 8 min, and the ultrasonic frequency is 22 kHz. The subsequent treatment steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0095] Example 7 Different from Example 1, an ultrasonic transducer is further provided at the bottom of the housing of the primary separation unit in this example. After the pole piece fragments are rotated and soaked for 40 min, the ultrasonic transducer is started for ultrasonic treatment for 5 min, and the ultrasonic frequency is 22 kHz. The subsequent processing steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0096] Comparative Example 1 Different from Example 1, in this comparative example, a separation cylinder is not provided in the housing, the pole piece fragments and the solvent are directly added into the housing, and the separation unit does not include a spraying system. After the pole piece fragments are soaked in the solvent for 45 min, they are transferred to the housing of the secondary separation unit and soaked for another 30 min, and then the aluminum foil is filtered and separated, and the separated aluminum foil is dried in the drying unit.

[0097] Comparative Example 2 Different from Example 1, the separation unit in this comparative example does not include a spraying system.

[0098] Performance Test Aluminum foil recovery rate: Weigh the mass (m0) of the initial positive pole piece and the mass (m1) of the recovered aluminum foil. The aluminum foil recovery rate = m1 / (m0 × w) × 100%, where w is the mass fraction of aluminum foil in the initial positive pole piece.

[0099] Purity of the recovered positive electrode powder: The content of each element is obtained by testing the recovered positive electrode powder with an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-MS), and the mass ratio of impurity elements is calculated. The purity of the recovered positive electrode powder = 1 - the mass ratio of impurity elements.

[0100] Test Results The test results of Examples 1-7 and Comparative Examples 1-2 are shown in Table 1.

[0101] Table 1 Test Results in Examples 1-7 and Comparative Examples 1-2

[0102] As can be seen from Table 1, the aluminum foil recovery rates in the examples of the present application are all greater than or equal to 99.5%, and the purity of the recovered positive electrode powder is 99.99%. Not only is the aluminum foil recovery rate greater than that of the comparative examples, but also the purity of the recovered positive electrode powder is high, and all indicators meet the requirements when it is made into a stacked battery.

[0103] By comparing Examples 1-3, it can be seen that the rotation speed of the separation cylinder has an impact on the aluminum foil recovery rate. Within the given rotation speed range, the higher the rotation speed, the greater the aluminum foil recovery rate, because the higher the rotation speed, the greater the centrifugal force, and the easier it is for the current collector to separate from the positive electrode active material; however, the rotation speed of the separation cylinder has no obvious impact on the purity of the recovered positive electrode powder.

[0104] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and the specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the text, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A recycling device for waste batteries, characterized in that, Comprising at least one separation unit, the separation unit comprising: A separator, the separator comprising a housing and a separation cylinder; the housing is provided with a feed inlet, a first discharge outlet and a second discharge outlet; the separation cylinder is rotatably arranged in the housing, the separation cylinder is communicated between the feed inlet and the first discharge outlet, and the cylinder wall of the separation cylinder is set as a sieve mesh; A spray system, the spray system comprising a spray head, the spray head is arranged in the housing, and the output end of the spray head is set to face the separation cylinder.

2. The recycling device for waste batteries according to claim 1, characterized in that, The separation unit further comprises an ultrasonic transducer, and the ultrasonic transducer is arranged on the housing.

3. The recycling device for waste batteries according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The separator further comprises a first screw conveyor structure, the first screw conveyor structure is arranged in the separation cylinder, and the first screw conveyor structure extends to the first discharge outlet.

4. The recycling device for waste batteries according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The separator further comprises a second screw conveyor structure, the second screw conveyor structure is arranged at the second discharge outlet, and the second screw conveyor structure is provided with a blanking port.

5. The recycling device for waste batteries according to claim 4, wherein, The second screw conveyor structure comprises a first screw blade and a second screw blade, the spiral directions of the first screw blade and the second screw blade are opposite, and the blanking port is arranged between the first screw blade and the second screw blade.

6. The recycling device for waste batteries according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The recycling device for waste batteries comprises at least two separation units, the first discharge outlet of one separation unit is communicated with the feed inlet of another separation unit, and the housing of one separation unit is communicated with the housing of another separation unit.

7. The recycling device for waste batteries according to claim 6, characterized in that, The recycling device for waste batteries further comprises a drying unit, the drying unit comprising a dryer; The dryer is provided with a drying feed inlet and a drying discharge outlet, the drying feed inlet is communicated with the first discharge outlet of the separation unit, and the drying discharge outlet is set to be communicated with a briquetting machine.

8. The recycling device for waste batteries according to claim 7, characterized in that, The drying unit further comprises a tail gas condensation structure, and the tail gas condensation structure is communicated with the dryer.

9. A method for recycling waste batteries, characterized in that, Using the recycling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to recycle waste batteries.

10. The recycling method of waste batteries according to claim 9, characterized in that, The recycling method for waste batteries comprises: Providing pole piece fragments, the size of the pole piece fragments being larger than the sieve size of the separation cylinder; Injecting a solvent into the housing, and immersing at least part of the separation cylinder in the solvent, and feeding the pole piece fragments into the separation cylinder from the feed inlet to soak the pole piece fragments; Controlling the separation cylinder to rotate to assist the active substances on the pole piece fragments to fall off by stirring, controlling the spray system to start, and enabling the spray head to spray the solvent to wash the pole piece fragments attached to the cylinder wall of the separation cylinder; After the soaking is completed, discharging the pole piece fragments from the first discharge outlet for subsequent treatment, and discharging the active substances from the second discharge outlet for subsequent treatment.

11. The recycling method of waste batteries according to claim 10, characterized in that, The size of the pole piece fragments is 1 cm - 2 cm.

12. The recycling method of waste batteries according to claim 10, characterized in that, The rotation speed of the separation cylinder is 0.2 r / min - 1 r / min.

13. The recycling method of waste batteries according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The step of soaking the pole piece fragments further comprises an ultrasonic-assisted separation step, and the ultrasonic-assisted separation step comprises: After the pole piece fragments are soaked in the solvent for a first time period t1, starting ultrasonic treatment for a second time period t2, and the second time period t2 is less than the first time period t1; The total soaking time t of the electrode piece fragments in the solvent is the sum of the first time t1 and the second time t2, and t satisfies: 30 min ≤ t ≤ 60 min.

14. The recycling method of waste batteries according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The step of discharging the electrode piece fragments from the first discharge port for subsequent processing includes: Performing secondary separation treatment on the electrode piece fragments, then drying at 250°C - 300°C, and recovering the tail gas during the drying process through a condensation structure.

Images