Recovery of critical elements from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries using assisted membrane solvent extraction
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- UT BATTELLE LLC
- Filing Date
- 2021-04-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-03
AI Technical Summary
Conventional solvent extraction methods for recovering cobalt and other elements from lithium ion batteries are limited by high solvent inventory, emulsion formation, and multi-step operations, and fail to achieve selective recovery of elements in substantially pure form from complex cathode materials like LiCoO2 and LiNiCoMnO2.
A method and system using supported membrane solvent extraction with immobilized organic phases in hollow fibers, where an aqueous feed solution and a strip solution are directed through the fibers to simultaneously extract and strip elements like cobalt, manganese, and nickel, while rejecting others, utilizing cationic extractants such as Cyanex 272 and Cyanex 301 to achieve selective recovery.
The method enables the simultaneous extraction and stripping of cobalt, manganese, and nickel from lithium ion cathode materials in substantially pure form, overcoming equilibrium constraints and achieving high recovery rates with minimal co-extraction of other elements, as demonstrated by laboratory examples.