Heat treatment apparatus for battery, and variable material recovering method for battery

Abstract

To efficiently heat-treat a battery, and heat-treat the battery into a state in which a variable material can be efficiently recovered.SOLUTION: A heat treatment apparatus for a battery includes a heat conduction case 30 for storing a battery 1, and a heat treatment furnace 20 for heating the heat conduction case 30 by a flame, wherein the heat conduction case 30 has a bottom plate 30b and an outer peripheral case part 31 composed of metal plates, and has a blocking chamber having such a structure that an exhaust part 33 is not sealed while being opened and closed. The exhaust part 33 is composed of one of a through hole 33a and an exhaust duct 36, the through hole 33a is opened to the outer peripheral case part 31 at a position above the upper end of the battery 1 to be stored, the exhaust duct 36 is fixed to the heat conduction case 30, and is constituted so that a suction opening 36a is opened to the inside of the heat conduction case 30, and an exhaust opening 36b is opened to the outside of the heat conduction case 30, and a burner 23 of the heat treatment furnace 20 injects a flame to the surface of the outer peripheral case part 31, the heat conduction case 30 is heated, and the battery 1 to be stored is heat treated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat treatment method for performing heat treatment to recover valuable materials from used batteries, and a method for recovering valuable materials by heat treating used batteries. [Background technology]

[0002] Valuable materials can be recovered from used batteries by heat treating them. This method involves heat treating lithium-ion secondary batteries, and can recover valuable materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, aluminum foil, and copper foil. These valuable materials can be recovered by crushing, pulverizing, and separating the batteries after heat treating them. The recovered valuable materials can be effectively reused as raw materials for batteries, making this an extremely important technology in Japan, where resources are scarce.

[0003] Used batteries can be heat-treated in a heat treatment furnace to recover valuable materials, but in order to efficiently recover valuable materials from heat-treated batteries, it is required to heat-treat the batteries in a preferred temperature environment without heating them locally, i.e., to heat them evenly, and to crush or pulverize the heat-treated batteries to a state in which valuable materials can be efficiently separated. To recover valuable materials from batteries, the heat-treated batteries are crushed into small pieces, but if the heat treatment temperature of the batteries is too low, it becomes difficult to crush them into a fine state suitable for recovering valuable materials. Batteries are heat-treated at a high temperature to a state suitable for crushing, but the constituent materials of the batteries are oxidized, making it difficult to efficiently recover valuable materials such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium from batteries that have been heat-treated at high temperatures. In a method for recovering valuable materials by heat treating batteries, it is required to recover high-quality valuable materials such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium from black powder of several hundred μm or less, called black mass, which is obtained by crushing the heat-treated batteries. However, if the heat treatment temperature of the batteries is too high, the constituent materials such as iron, aluminum, and copper are oxidized and become brittle, which increases the proportion of them mixed into the black mass. In a method for recovering and heat treating batteries, the batteries can be efficiently heat-treated by directly heating them with the flame of a heat treatment furnace, but this method heats the batteries locally, making it difficult to efficiently recover high-quality target valuable materials. In order to eliminate this drawback, a heat treatment method has been developed in which the batteries are placed in a protective container and heated (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-207648 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes a heat treatment method in which a lithium ion battery is placed in a battery protection container and heated in a heat treatment furnace to prevent the lithium ion battery from being locally heated. This heat treatment method can prevent local heating by placing a lithium ion battery in a battery protection container and indirectly heating it, but the battery protection container that indirectly heats the lithium ion battery reduces the thermal efficiency of heating the lithium ion battery, resulting in a disadvantage in that the energy consumed in the heat treatment increases. In particular, the heat treatment method of Patent Document 1 heats the battery in a battery protection container that opens at the top, so that gas heated inside the battery protection container heated in the heat treatment furnace flows out from the top and suppresses the rise in the internal temperature, making it difficult to efficiently heat the battery and increasing the energy consumed in the heat treatment. Furthermore, the heat treatment method of Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a filler such as alumina powder, various ceramic powders, sand, etc. is placed in the battery protection container and the battery is heated through the filler, but in this method, the thermal energy is transferred to the lithium ion battery through both the battery protection container and the filler, further reducing the efficiency of the thermal energy used in the heat treatment. Heating batteries evenly is an important issue for recovering valuables in a high-quality state. In the process of recovering valuables from discarded batteries, however, it is also extremely important to reduce the amount of thermal energy consumed. However, heating batteries evenly and reducing the energy consumed in the heat treatment are mutually contradictory characteristics, and it is extremely difficult to satisfy both.

[0006] The present invention has been developed with the aim of eliminating the above-mentioned problems. One object of the present invention is to provide a battery heat treatment apparatus and method that can prevent the problems of localized heating of a battery, heat the entire battery within the optimum temperature range for recovering valuables, and efficiently heat treat the battery by reducing the amount of thermal energy consumed in the heat treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A battery heat treatment device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a heat conduction case in which batteries from which valuables are to be recovered are placed and subjected to heat treatment, and a heat treatment furnace in which the heat conduction case is heated with a flame to heat the batteries placed inside the heat conduction case, the heat conduction case being made of metal plates with a bottom plate on which the batteries are placed and an outer periphery case part connected in a heat conductive state to the outer periphery of the bottom plate, and having an exhaust part opened and a closed chamber having a structure that is closed but not sealed inside, the exhaust part being made of either a through hole provided in the outer periphery case part of the heat conduction case, or an exhaust duct penetrating the heat conduction case. the through hole is located above the upper end of the battery stored in the closed chamber and opens into the outer peripheral case portion; the exhaust duct is fixed to the outer peripheral case portion or the top plate of the thermal conduction case and has an intake opening opening into the interior of the thermal conduction case and an exhaust opening opening to the exterior of the thermal conduction case; the heat treatment furnace is equipped with a burner that sprays a flame toward the outer peripheral case portion of the thermal conduction case, the burner sprays a flame toward the surface of the outer peripheral case portion and the thermal conduction case is heated by the flame, and the heated thermal conduction case heats the battery in the closed chamber to perform heat treatment.

[0008] A method for recovering valuable resources from batteries according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a heat treatment step of placing a thermally conductive case containing a battery in a heat treatment furnace, which heats the thermally conductive case by spraying a flame onto the thermally conductive case, and a recovery step of crushing the batteries heat-treated in the heat treatment step to recover valuable resources. In the heat treatment step, a closed but not sealed closed chamber having an exhaust part is provided inside the thermally conductive case in which the batteries are heat-treated, and batteries are placed in the closed chamber and heated to perform the heat treatment, and the exhaust part is provided through a through hole provided in the outer periphery of the thermally conductive case or through a through hole penetrating the thermally conductive case. the through hole in the outer case part opens into the outer case part at a position higher than the upper end of the stored battery, the exhaust duct is fixed to the outer case part of the thermal conduction case or to a top plate formed by closing the upper opening of the outer case part, the intake opening opens into the interior of the thermal conduction case and the exhaust opening opens to the outside, the thermal conduction case is heated by a flame sprayed from the heat treatment furnace to heat the internal gas in the closed chamber, the heated internal gas rises along the inner surface of the outer case part of the thermal conduction case, and the internal gas in the closed chamber is agitated by the convection action of the rising internal gas, thereby heating and heat-treating the battery in the closed chamber. Effect of the Invention

[0009] One object of the present invention is to provide a battery heat treatment device and a battery valuables recovery method that can prevent the adverse effects of localized heating of a battery and heat-treat the entire battery within a temperature range that is suitable for recovering valuables, as well as reduce the thermal energy consumed in the battery heat treatment and perform heat treatment efficiently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heat treatment furnace. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a battery in a thermally conductive case is subjected to a heat treatment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a heat conduction case. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of a heat conduction case. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the heat conduction case. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (e.g., "upper", "lower", and other terms including these terms) are used as necessary, but the use of these terms is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the meaning of these terms does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, parts with the same reference numerals appearing in multiple drawings indicate the same or equivalent parts or members. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are specific examples of the technical ideas of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention to the following. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are intended to be illustrative and not to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the contents described in one embodiment or example can be applied to other embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated to clarify the explanation.

[0012] A battery heat treatment device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a heat conduction case in which a battery from which valuables are to be recovered is placed and heat treated, and a heat treatment furnace in which the heat conduction case is heated with a flame to heat the battery placed inside the heat conduction case. The heat conduction case has a bottom plate on which the battery is placed and an outer periphery case part connected to the outer periphery of the bottom plate in a heat conductive state, which are made of metal plates, and has a closed chamber inside which has an exhaust part opened and closed but not sealed, and the exhaust part is made of either a through hole provided in the outer periphery case part of the heat conduction case, or an exhaust duct penetrating the heat conduction case. the through hole is located above the upper end of the battery stored in the closed chamber and opens into the outer peripheral case portion, the exhaust duct is fixed to the outer peripheral case portion or the top plate of the thermal conduction case and has an intake opening opening into the interior of the thermal conduction case and an exhaust opening opening to the exterior of the thermal conduction case, the heat treatment furnace is equipped with a burner that sprays a flame toward the outer peripheral case portion of the thermal conduction case, the burner sprays a flame toward the surface of the outer peripheral case portion and the thermal conduction case is heated by the flame, and the heated thermal conduction case heats the battery in the closed chamber to perform heat treatment.

[0013] The above-mentioned battery heat treatment device is characterized by being able to prevent the adverse effects of localized heating of the battery and heat the entire battery within a temperature range suitable for recovering valuables, as well as being able to reduce the thermal energy consumed in the heat treatment of the battery and perform the heat treatment efficiently. The characteristic of being able to perform the heat treatment with reduced thermal energy is achieved by efficiently heating the battery using the thermal energy of the heat treatment furnace. The above features are realized by a unique structure in which the heat treatment apparatus heats a heat conduction case in which a battery is placed and heated in a heat treatment furnace, the heat conduction case has an internal closed chamber which is closed but not sealed with an exhaust section, the battery is heated in the closed chamber, and the exhaust section which realizes the closed but not sealed structure is either a through hole in the outer case section of the heat conduction case, or an exhaust duct which penetrates the heat conduction case, the through hole being positioned above the upper end of the battery to be stored and opening into the outer case section, the exhaust duct being fixed to the outer case section of the heat conduction case or to a top plate which closes the upper opening of the outer case section, with the intake opening opening into the closed chamber and the exhaust opening opening to the outside. Due to the unique structure of the heat treatment device, the heat conduction case is heated in a heat treatment furnace, the heat from the outside of the heated heat conduction case is conducted to the inside, heating the internal gas in the closed chamber, and the heated internal gas rises along the inner surface of the outer case part, and the convection action of the rising internal gas agitates the internal gas in the closed chamber, allowing the batteries placed in the closed chamber to be effectively heated and heat-treated with minimal temperature variation.

[0014] The above-mentioned battery heat treatment device has a feature that the exhaust gas of the battery can be discharged from inside the heat conduction case to the outside through a through hole or exhaust duct that is opened in the outer casing part and located above the upper end of the battery housed in the heat conduction case, so that the battery can be heat treated while the internal gas of the heat conduction case is convected in a favorable state and the internal temperature is equalized. This is because the internal gas that rises along the inner surface of the heated heat conduction case can rise smoothly. The heat conduction case agitates the internal gas by the convection action of the internal gas that rises smoothly along the inner surface of the heat conduction case, and the internal temperature is equalized. Therefore, the favorable convection action of the internal gas equalizes the internal temperature of the heat conduction case, and the battery can be heated without temperature unevenness and heat treated in an ideal state, preventing the adverse effect of the battery being heated locally, and realizing the feature that the entire battery can be heat treated in a temperature range favorable for recovering valuables.

[0015] In the heat treatment device for a battery according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the through hole can be opened on a surface adjacent to or close to the surface of the outer casing part from which the burner injects the flame. The heat treatment device for a battery described above has the feature that the battery can be heat-treated by heating the entire battery in a temperature range suitable for recovering valuable materials, preventing the adverse effect of the battery being locally heated, and can efficiently heat-treat the battery by reducing the thermal energy consumed in the heat treatment. The heat treatment device for a battery described above opens the through hole on a surface adjacent to or close to the surface (flame injection surface) of the outer casing part from which the burner injects the flame. That is, by opening the through hole on a surface other than the flame injection surface, the flame of the burner can be prevented from directly penetrating into the thermal conductive case through the through hole, and the battery can be heat-treated while equalizing the internal temperature, thereby preventing the adverse effect of the battery being locally heated. The flame injected from the burner on the flame injection surface is reflected after colliding with the flame injection surface, and is redirected and advances vigorously to avoid the through hole opened on the surface adjacent to or close to the flame injection surface, and the through hole can prevent the flame from directly penetrating. Moreover, the reflected and redirected flame passes through the through hole in a direction close to perpendicular (at an angle close to parallel to the through hole installation surface) to the direction in which the through hole is opened (perpendicular to the through hole installation surface) and travels away from the through hole, so the through hole opened at this position can prevent the direct penetration of the flame. Therefore, this through hole prevents the direct penetration of the flame, and prevents the adverse effect of local heating of the battery by direct flame, while the outside of the thermal conductive case is heated by flame injection and thermally conducted to the inside, thereby allowing the battery to be heat-treated. In addition, the above-mentioned battery heat treatment device can improve heating efficiency by preventing the flame of the burner from heating the thermal conductive case and the heated internal gas of the heated thermal conductive case from rising and being discharged as it is, and can agitate the internal gas in the closed chamber by the convection action of the internal gas, thereby effectively heating and heat-treating the battery placed in the closed chamber with little temperature unevenness, thereby reducing the thermal energy consumed in the heat treatment of the battery and allowing efficient heat treatment, and can heat the entire battery in a temperature range preferable for recovering valuable materials.

[0016] In the heat treatment device for a battery according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the intake opening of the exhaust duct can be disposed in the center of the heat conduction case. The heat treatment device for a battery described above has a feature that the internal temperature of the heat conduction case can be made more uniform, and the battery can be heated and heat treated at a more uniform temperature. This is because the structure for discharging the exhaust gas of the battery from the center of the heat conduction case to the outside can discharge the exhaust gas to the outside without impeding the upward flow rising along the inner surface of the heat conduction case, even when the exhaust gas is discharged. The heat conduction case described above discharges the exhaust gas to the outside by opening the exhaust gas at the center of the heat conduction case at its lower part, and can discharge the exhaust gas descending inside the heat conduction case to the outside, and can smoothly discharge the downward flow of the internal gas to the outside. Therefore, even when the battery is in a state where it discharges the exhaust gas, the exhaust gas does not impede the convection action of the internal gas. The preferable convection action of the internal gas of the heat conduction case equalizes the internal temperature of the heat conduction case, and therefore has a feature that the heating temperature of the battery can be made more uniform and heat treated in an ideal state. The central portion of the heat conduction case refers to the internal space of the heat conduction case excluding the outer peripheral case portion, the top plate, and the bottom plate along the inner surfaces of each of the case.

[0017] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a heat treatment device for a battery includes a thermally conductive case having a main case with an opening at the top and a top lid that closes the top opening of the main case in an openable and closable manner, and an exhaust duct is fixed through the top lid, so that the intake opening can be located inside the thermally conductive case and the exhaust opening can be located outside the thermally conductive case. The above-described heat treatment device for a battery has a feature that the top lid can be removed to insert and remove a battery, and that the exhaust duct can be located in a preferred position when the battery is inserted in the main case and the top lid is used to close the opening of the main case. Furthermore, the exhaust duct is located in a preferred position and does not get in the way when inserting or removing a battery.

[0018] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat-conducting case of the battery heat-treatment device can have a plurality of exhaust ports. The above-described battery heat-treatment device has the features that it can efficiently disperse and exhaust the exhaust gas from the battery through the plurality of exhaust ports, promote convection and agitation of the gas inside the closed chamber, reduce internal temperature unevenness, and suppress local temperature rises in the battery, thereby efficiently performing heat treatment, and can effectively utilize the thermal energy required for heat treatment.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a heat treatment device for a battery has a total opening area of ​​a plurality of exhaust sections of 80 cm 2 The above-mentioned battery heat treatment device limits the total opening area of ​​the multiple exhaust sections, thereby limiting the flow rate of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust sections and reducing the factors that cause the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust sections to inhibit the convection action of the internal gas. This reduces temperature unevenness in the thermal conduction case, and has the advantage that the battery can be heated at an even temperature for heat treatment.

[0020] In another embodiment of the battery heat treatment device of the present disclosure, the heat treatment furnace can be a continuous furnace that ejects a flame toward the outer casing of the heat conduction case. The above-mentioned battery heat treatment device can heat-treat the built-in battery by ejecting a flame onto the surface of the heat conduction case, so that the heat conduction case can be continuously moved while the continuous furnace ejects a flame to heat-treat the built-in battery. This is because the heat treatment can be performed without the flame directly irradiating the heat conduction case and locally heating the battery. Therefore, the above-mentioned device has the feature that the heat treatment can be performed without locally heating the battery while continuously ejecting a flame.

[0021] A method for recovering valuables from batteries according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a heat treatment step of placing a thermally conductive case containing a battery in a heat treatment furnace, and the heat treatment furnace sprays a flame onto the thermally conductive case to heat the battery, thereby heat-treating the battery through the heated thermally conductive case, and a recovery step of crushing the batteries heat-treated in the heat treatment step to recover valuables. In the heat treatment step, a closed but not sealed closed chamber having an exhaust part is provided inside the thermally conductive case in which the battery is heat-treated, and the battery is placed in the closed chamber and heated to be heat-treated, and the exhaust part is provided through a through hole provided in the outer periphery of the thermally conductive case, or through an exhaust hole penetrating the thermally conductive case. The exhaust duct is fixed to the outer case part of the thermal conduction case or to a top plate formed by closing the upper opening of the outer case part, with the intake opening opening into the interior of the thermal conduction case and the exhaust opening opening to the outside, the thermal conduction case is heated by a flame sprayed from the heat treatment furnace to heat the internal gas in the closed chamber, the heated internal gas is caused to rise along the inner surface of the outer case part of the thermal conduction case, and the internal gas in the closed chamber is agitated by the convection action of the rising internal gas, thereby heating and heat-treating the batteries in the closed chamber.

[0022] The above-mentioned method for recovering valuable resources from batteries has the advantage that the heat treatment process prevents localized heating of the battery and allows the entire battery to be heat-treated at a temperature suitable for recovering valuable resources, and in addition, the heat energy consumed in the heat treatment of the battery can be reduced and the battery can be heat-treated efficiently. The advantage of being able to reduce the heat energy used in the heat treatment is realized by efficiently heating the battery with the heat energy of the heat treatment furnace. The above-mentioned method for recovering valuable resources from batteries has the advantage that the heat treatment process reduces the temperature difference of the heated battery and allows the battery to be heat-treated in a favorable temperature environment so that the valuable resources can be efficiently recovered. This is because the heat treatment process heats the thermally conductive case in which the battery is placed and heated from the outside, agitates the internal gas in the heated thermally conductive case, and heats and heats the battery with the agitated internal gas whose temperature difference has been reduced. The advantage of being able to reduce the temperature difference of the heated battery and heat it evenly is realized by the heat treatment process heating and heat-treating the battery in a unique thermally conductive case. In other words, the above valuable resource recovery method makes effective use of the temperature rise in the thermal conduction case heated in a heat treatment furnace in the heat treatment process to forcibly agitate the internal gas in the thermal conduction case through the convection action of the internal gas, thereby making it possible to reduce the temperature difference between the heated batteries and perform heat treatment in a favorable temperature environment so that valuable resources can be efficiently recovered without providing any components for forcibly agitating the internal gas. (Embodiment 1)

[0023] The present disclosure relates to a heat treatment apparatus 100 that heat-treats a battery 1 to recover valuable materials, and a method for recovering valuable materials from a treated battery 1 that has been heat-treated by the heat treatment apparatus 100. In particular, the present disclosure is characterized by heat-treating a battery 1 to a state in which valuable materials can be recovered. The method for recovering valuable materials from a heat-treated treated battery is not limited to the methods described below, such as crushing, pulverization, and classification, and all other methods that can recover valuable materials from treated batteries, including methods currently in use and methods to be developed in the future, can also be used.

[0024] In the present disclosure, the battery 1 is heat-treated to recover valuables from the constituent materials, and therefore the configuration, structure, shape, size, capacity, type, etc. of the battery 1 to be heat-treated are not specified. For example, the battery 1 may include a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, an electrolyte, and a battery case, cover, film, or other container that accommodates these. In addition, although the present disclosure does not specify the type of battery 1, since valuables can be recovered by heat-treating the battery 1, batteries with excellent characteristics that are currently widely used, particularly lithium-ion secondary batteries with large charge / discharge capacity relative to weight and volume, are suitable for the battery 1. However, since valuables can be recovered from all batteries from which valuables can be recovered by heat-treating the battery 1, the battery 1 to be heat-treated is not specified to be a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery, and all batteries from which valuables can be recovered by heat-treating the battery 1, including batteries to be developed in the future, can be used. The battery 1 is a battery from which valuables can be recovered by heat-treating the battery 1. Battery 1 is a used or discarded battery, and includes batteries that have reached the end of their lifespan, defective batteries that developed a malfunction during manufacture or subsequent use, batteries that have been discarded midway through use, batteries inside equipment that have reached the end of their lifespan, batteries inside defective equipment that developed a malfunction during manufacture or subsequent use, and batteries inside equipment that have been discarded midway through use.

[0025] Furthermore, the present disclosure does not specify the battery 1 as a single battery cell, but includes, for example, a battery unit used as a power source for driving a motor for driving an electric vehicle. The battery unit is a battery in which, for example, multiple secondary batteries such as lithium ion secondary batteries are placed in a metal exterior case and used as a power source device. Valuables can be recovered from the battery unit by heat treatment without disassembling it into battery cells. Therefore, in the device and method of the present disclosure, the battery 1 from which valuables are recovered by heat treatment is used in a broad sense to include not only a single battery but also a battery unit consisting of multiple batteries. Since it requires cost, effort, and time to disassemble a battery unit into single battery cells, valuables are recovered by heat treatment without disassembling the battery unit into single battery cells. For this reason, the present disclosure does not specify the battery 1 from which valuables are recovered by heat treatment as a single battery, but includes an device and method for heat treating a battery unit consisting of multiple batteries. Furthermore, because a battery unit contains multiple batteries inside a metal exterior case, the device and method for heat treating a battery unit to recover valuables has the advantage that it can recover the metal material of the exterior case in addition to the constituent materials of the batteries. In addition, the heat treatment device and recovery method disclosed herein can recover valuables by heat treating the battery unit without disassembling it, thereby preventing accidents caused by disassembly of the battery and enabling valuables to be recovered safely.

[0026] Furthermore, although the present disclosure relates to a method for recovering valuable materials by heat treating the battery 1, the valuable materials that can be recovered are specified by the constituent materials of the battery 1, and for example, valuable materials recovered from a lithium-ion secondary battery include copper foil, aluminum foil, cobalt, nickel, lithium, which are constituent materials of the electrodes, as well as the metal material of the case, etc. Since the valuable materials recovered by heat treatment vary depending on the constituent materials of the battery 1, the present disclosure does not specify the valuable materials recovered from the battery 1. [Heat treatment device 100]

[0027] The heat treatment device 100 bakes the battery 1 in a heat treatment furnace 20 to produce a treated battery. The heat treatment device 100 places the battery 1 in a heat conductive case 30 and heats the heat conductive case 30 with the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20 to prevent the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20 from directly heating the battery 1 and locally increasing the temperature. The heat treatment device 100 heats the heat conductive case 30 with the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20, and heats the internal battery 1 through the heated heat conductive case 30. The heat conductive case 30 heated by the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20 can be made of a metal plate with excellent heat resistance, such as a heat-resistant stainless steel plate. The heat treatment furnace 20 heats the outer periphery case portion 31 of the heat conductive case 30 with the flame, and the heated heat conductive case 30 heats the battery 1. (Heat treatment furnace 20)

[0028] The heat treatment furnace 20 may be, for example, both a batch furnace and a continuous furnace, but a continuous furnace capable of efficiently heat-treating the battery 1 is preferable. In the continuous furnace, for example, the heat-conducting case 30 is placed on a heat-resistant cart 25 and moved, or heat-resistant wheels 26 are provided at the bottom, or the heat-conducting case 30 is moved on a heat-resistant conveyor arranged at the bottom, and the heat-conducting case 30 is heated one after another to heat-treat the battery 1. The heat treatment furnace 20 is not particularly limited as long as it can heat-treat the battery 1, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose, and all heat treatment furnaces currently in use or to be developed in the future can be used. The heat treatment furnace 20 can efficiently heat-treat the battery 1 by appropriately arranging the heat source. The temperature of the battery 1 can be efficiently increased by spraying a flame from a close distance to the battery 1 or spraying flames from multiple directions, but if the flame is sprayed directly on the battery 1, the battery 1 is locally heated, making it difficult to efficiently recover high-quality valuables. Therefore, the heat treatment device 100 sprays flames onto the heat conductive case 30 containing the battery 1, thereby preventing a local rise in battery temperature due to direct flame by using the outer circumferential case portion 31 of the heat conductive case 30 as an intermediary, and effectively utilizes thermal energy within the heat conductive case 30 of a closed chamber having a closed but not sealed structure with an exhaust portion 33, thereby reducing temperature unevenness of the heated battery 1 and heating and heat-treating the battery 1 with high efficiency, thereby obtaining a treated battery in a state from which high-quality valuables can be efficiently recovered.

[0029] The cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 shows the heat conduction case 30 heated by the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20 and the battery 1 being heat treated. The heat treatment furnace 20 of FIG. 2 sprays a flame toward the heat conduction case 30 to heat the outer circumferential case part 31 of the heat conduction case 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the flame that heats the heat conduction case 30 is sprayed horizontally to heat the outer circumferential case part 31 of the heat conduction case 30. In the heat treatment furnace 20 of the figure, the burners 23 arranged on both sides spray flames horizontally from two directions toward both side surfaces of the heat conduction case 30 to heat the outer circumferential case part 31 of the heat conduction case 30. The outer circumferential case part 31 is present between the burner 23 spraying the flame and the battery 1, so that the flame is prevented from being sprayed directly on the battery 1. The flame of the burner 23 directly heats the outer circumferential case part 31, and the heat of the outer circumferential case part 31 and the internal gas indirectly heats the battery 1. (Thermal Conduction Case 30)

[0030] The thermally conductive case 30 is heated by blowing the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20 onto the surface of the outer circumferential case part 31. The heat of the flame blown onto the surface of the outer circumferential case part 31 of the thermally conductive case 30 is conducted to heat-treat the batteries 1 inside. The thermally conductive case 30 has a unique structure that can heat the batteries 1 evenly and efficiently recover valuable materials. The thermally conductive case 30 shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 and the perspective view of FIG. 3 has a bottom surface of the cylindrical outer circumferential case part 31 closed with a bottom plate 30b, a top surface closed with a top plate 30a, and an exhaust part 33 for discharging internal gas to the outside, making the thermally conductive case 30 closed but not sealed. The thermally conductive case 30 has an exhaust part 33 and a closed but not sealed structure in order to reduce temperature unevenness of the batteries 1 and heat them evenly. The thermally conductive case 30 is provided with an exhaust section 33 that is structured to prevent the battery 1 from being directly heated by a flame and causing a localized temperature rise, and the thermally conductive case 30 is structured to be closed but not sealed, so that the internal gas is stirred by convection to heat-treat the battery 1.

[0031] The heat conduction case 30 is heated from the outer surface of the outer casing 31 by the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20, and the temperature rises. The outer casing 31, which has risen in temperature, heats the internal gas of the heat conduction case 30, and raises its temperature. The internal gas with the risen temperature becomes lighter and becomes an upward flow that rises along the inner surface of the outer casing 31. The upward flow on the inner surface of the outer casing 31 hits the inner surface of the top plate 30a of the heat conduction case 30 and changes direction to become a downward flow that falls. The internal gas of the heat conduction case 30 convects upward and downward as an upward flow that rises along the inner surface of the outer casing 31 and a downward flow on the inner surface of the top plate. The internal gas that convects upward and downward is agitated to reduce the temperature difference between the top and bottom, and to reduce the temperature unevenness of the battery 1 to be heated. Furthermore, the internal gas that convects upward and downward flows quickly along the surface of the battery 1, heating the surface of the battery 1 evenly and efficiently for heat treatment. The heat conductive case 30 heated by the flame heats the internal gas on its inner surface, and the internal gas of the heat conductive case 30 is forcibly agitated, thereby heat treating the battery 1 .

[0032] The convecting internal gas is stirred inside the closed chamber to heat the battery 1 and perform heat treatment. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 shows the state in which the internal gas of the closed chamber, which is closed but not sealed, is convecting, and the state in which the internal gas is stirred by the convection action and heats the battery 1. Arrows A and B in FIG. 2 indicate the direction in which the internal gas of the heat conduction case 30 convects. Arrow A indicates the flow direction of the upward flow that rises as it is heated by the inner surface of the outer casing part 31, and arrow B indicates the flow direction of the internal gas that changes direction when the upward flow hits the top plate 30a and becomes a downward flow that falls. The outer casing part 31 on the side of the heat conduction case 30 in FIG. 2 is heated by the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20. The heat conduction case 30 heated by the flame heats the internal gas of the closed chamber by the inner surface of the outer casing part 31, and the heated internal gas becomes an upward flow. The upward flow of the internal gas stirs the internal gas of the heat conduction case 30, heating the battery 1 while reducing temperature unevenness inside. The internal gas of the heat conductive case 30 is heated by the inner surface of the outer casing portion 31 of the heat conductive case 30 and becomes an upward flow (arrow A). The upward flow of the internal gas hits the inner surface of the top plate 30a and changes direction to become a downward flow (arrow B). The internal gas of the heat conductive case 30 becomes an upward flow on the inner surface of the outer casing portion 31, hits the top plate 30a and becomes a downward flow, and convects, and is agitated by the convection action to reduce internal temperature unevenness and heat the battery 1. The internal gas agitated by the convection action reduces temperature unevenness in the closed chamber, flows over the surface of the battery 1, efficiently heats the battery 1 with a small temperature difference, and bakes the battery 1 to a state in which valuable materials can be efficiently recovered. The convection action of the internal gas is effective in accelerating the flow rate on the surface of the battery 1, suppressing local temperature rise of the battery 1, and efficiently and evenly heats the entire battery 1 for heat treatment.

[0033] The heat transfer case 30 in FIG. 3 has support legs 34 on the underside of the bottom plate 30b, and a hot air flow gap 35 is provided below the bottom plate 30b. The flow gap 35 can be adjusted by the height of the support legs 34. The height of the support legs 34 is, for example, 5 cm or more and 50 cm or less, preferably 10 cm or more and 30 cm or less, so that hot air can flow through the flow gap 35. The hot air flowing through the flow gap 35 heats the bottom plate 30b, heating both the internal gas and the batteries 1. The heated bottom plate 30b heats the internal gas on the bottom inner surface of the heat transfer case 30 to make it an upward flow, and also makes the internal gas that collides with the top plate 30a and descends into an upward flow again, thereby stirring the internal gas in the heat transfer case 30 as a whole and equalizing the internal temperature. In particular, this structure has the advantage that a large number of batteries 1 can be more efficiently and uniformly heat-treated in an apparatus that efficiently heat-treats a plurality of batteries 1 placed in a large-volume heat transfer case 30. A flow gap 35 is formed between the multiple support legs 34. The support legs 34 have both heat resistance and strength, and their shape, thickness, size, material, posture, arrangement, etc. are not specified, but they can support the heat conduction case 30 in a dot-like, linear, or planar shape. The support legs 34 can efficiently heat the heat conduction case 30 from the bottom by taking a shape, posture, and arrangement that do not hinder the flow of hot air through the flow gap 35. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when flames are ejected horizontally from the burners 23 provided on both sides of the incinerator 20 to heat the heat conduction case 30, the support legs 34 can be plate-shaped and extend in the direction of the flame and hot air, so that the hot air can flow through the flow gap 35 without being blocked, and the heat conduction case 30 can be efficiently heated from the bottom.

[0034] The thermally conductive case 30 is preferably sized to have an internal volume larger than 1 cubic meter so that multiple batteries 1 can be placed therein and heat-treated together. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, this thermally conductive case 30 can simultaneously heat-treat multiple batteries 1. When the batteries 1 are heated in the heat treatment furnace 20 in this state, the bottom plate 30b is heated by hot air entering the flow gap 35, and the internal gas and the batteries 1 can be efficiently heated and heat-treated. In addition to directly heating the batteries 1, the heated bottom plate 30b also heats the internal gas that is redirected and descends at the top plate 30a, turning it into an ascending flow, and efficiently agitating the internal gas overall. The ascending flow also flows along the surface of the batteries 1 to heat the batteries 1. By heating from the bottom plate 30b (the bottom surface in Fig. 2), which is different from the outer periphery case part 31 (both side surfaces in Fig. 2) from which the flame is ejected and heated, multiple batteries 1 can be efficiently heated and heat-treated. (Exhaust section 33)

[0035] When the battery 1 is heated inside the heat conductive case 30, the electrolyte vaporizes and the battery 1 discharges the vaporized gas (exhaust gas). The heat conductive case 30 is provided with an exhaust section 33 for discharging the exhaust gas from the battery 1. The exhaust section 33 can be, for example, a through hole 33a or an exhaust duct 36. In the heat conductive case 30 of Figs. 2 to 4, the exhaust section 33 is a through hole 33a provided in the outer circumferential case section 31, and in Fig. 5, it is an exhaust duct 36. The through hole 33a of the exhaust section 33 is provided in a position where the flame of the heat treatment furnace 20 is not sprayed toward the battery 1 to directly heat it. For example, a heat conductive case 30 having a structure in which the through hole 33a of the exhaust section 33 opens above the battery 1 housed therein heats the outer surface of the outer circumferential case section 31 with the flame, and the heated outer circumferential case section 31 heats the battery 1. The exhaust duct 36 of the exhaust section 33 has an intake opening 36a opening to the inside of the thermally conductive case 30 and an exhaust opening 36b opening to the outside of the thermally conductive case 30. This structure also prevents the adverse effect of flames being sprayed directly onto the battery 1, which would cause a local increase in battery temperature, and allows the battery 1 to be heated evenly, thereby enabling thermal treatment to a state in which valuable resources can be efficiently recovered. (Through hole 33a)

[0036] In the heat conductive case 30 of FIG. 2, the exhaust section 33 of the through hole 33a opens above the upper end of the battery 1 to be heat-treated inside. This heat conductive case 30 can heat-treat the battery 1 in a preferable temperature environment by preventing the adverse effect of a flame penetrating the inside from the through hole 33a of the exhaust section 33, locally heating the battery 1, and increasing the temperature. Furthermore, the heat conductive case 30 with the through hole 33a opened above the battery 1 can heat the entire battery 1 by interposing the outer circumferential case part 31 between the flame and the battery 1, preventing the adverse effect of a flame penetrating the inside from the through hole 33a and locally heating the surface of the battery 1. Furthermore, in this heat conductive case 30, the surface of the battery 1 is heated by the upward flow of the internal gas rising in the heating gap (S) between the battery 1 and the inner surface of the outer circumferential case part 31. The upward flow flowing over the surface of the battery 1 heats the surface of the battery 1 evenly and efficiently with a small temperature difference, thereby heat-treating the battery 1.

[0037] Furthermore, the heat conduction case 30 shown in the perspective view of FIG. 3 has a through hole 33a of the exhaust section 33, which is located downward from the upper edge of the outer casing section 31. This structure prevents the rising internal gas from flowing along the lower surface of the top plate 30a and being discharged to the outside through the through hole 33a, and the internal gas can be efficiently convected by changing the direction from an upward flow to a downward flow. Furthermore, the exhaust section 33, which is opened downward from the upper edge, does not allow the internal gas to be discharged to the outside due to the action of the air curtain of the upward flow flowing along the inner surface of the outer casing section 31 when the battery 1 is not spouting exhaust gas, i.e., the opening area of ​​the exhaust section 33 is substantially small. Therefore, when the battery 1 is not discharging exhaust gas, the heat conduction case 30 becomes a heat conduction case 30 that is closed but not sealed in a preferable state, and has the characteristic that the temperature difference of the internal gas can be reduced by effective convection action to heat the battery 1. When the lithium-ion secondary battery 1 is heated and experiences thermal runaway, it instantly emits high-temperature, high-pressure exhaust gas, and in this state the exhaust gas is quickly discharged to the outside from the exhaust section 33. This is because the exhaust gas instantaneously increases the internal pressure of the thermally conductive case 30, causing the internal gas to be discharged from the exhaust section 33. (Exhaust duct 36)

[0038] In the heat conductive case 30, the exhaust section 33 can be an exhaust duct 36. The exhaust duct 36 can be a tall hollow cylinder with the intake opening 36a and the exhaust opening 36b arranged at different positions, away from each other. In the heat conductive case 30 of FIG. 5, the exhaust section 33 is an exhaust duct 36 penetrating the heat conductive case 30, with the intake opening 36a of the exhaust duct 36 arranged inside the heat conductive case 30 and the exhaust opening 36b arranged to open to the outside. The exhaust duct 36 of the heat conductive case 30 can exhaust the exhaust gas of the battery 1 from inside the heat conductive case 30, so that the exhaust gas of the battery 1 can heat the battery 1 evenly without suppressing the convection action of the internal gas. This is because the exhausted internal gas can effectively stir the internal gas by the convection action of the internal gas without impeding the upward flow inside the heat conductive case 30. In particular, it is possible to quickly exhaust to the outside the high-temperature exhaust gas that is discharged into the thermal conductive case 30 due to thermal runaway of the battery 1, while suppressing an abnormal increase in internal temperature caused by the exhaust gas, thereby realizing the characteristic of being able to heat-treat the battery 1.

[0039] Furthermore, the exhaust duct 36 can exhaust the exhaust gas without impeding the convection action of the internal gas caused by the exhaust gas by arranging the intake opening 36a inside the heat conduction case 30 and away from the inner surface of the outer casing part 31. In particular, exhausting the exhaust gas of the battery 1 from inside the heat conduction case 30 can prevent the harmful effect of impeding the upward flow of the exhaust gas rising along the inner surface of the heat conduction case 30. Furthermore, the heat conduction case 30 of FIG. 5 has the intake opening 36a of the exhaust duct 36 arranged at the opening at the lower part inside and away from the inner surface of the outer casing part 31. The heat conduction case 30 of this structure can exhaust the downward flow of the internal gas from the lower part, so that the exhaust gas flows in a direction that accelerates the downward flow. Therefore, the above heat conduction case 30 can make the convection action of the internal gas more effective by allowing the exhaust gas to act in a direction that accelerates the downward flow without impeding the upward flow. For this reason, the above-mentioned thermally conductive case 30 has the advantage that even when the battery 1 is emitting exhaust gas, the internal temperature is equalized by the effective convection action of the gas inside the thermally conductive case 30, and the battery 1 can be heated evenly for thermal treatment.

[0040] Furthermore, in the heat conduction case 30 of FIG. 5, the upper end opening of the main case 32A, which is open at the top, is closed by an openable top cover 32B, and an exhaust duct 36 is fixed to this top cover 32B. The exhaust duct 36 is fixed through the top cover 32B to exhaust exhaust gases inside. The exhaust duct 36 has an intake opening 36a disposed inside the heat conduction case 30 and an exhaust opening 36b disposed outside the heat conduction case 30. With this structure, the top cover can be removed and the exhaust duct moved to a position where it does not get in the way, making it convenient to insert and remove the battery 1. Furthermore, the intake opening 36a of the exhaust duct can be disposed in a preferred position.

[0041] The heat conduction case 30 in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 has a plurality of through holes 33a as the exhaust section 33. In the heat treatment device 100 in FIG. 2, the burner 23 injects flames into the flame injection surface 31a, which is the side surface of the outer circumferential case part 31, and the heat conduction case 30 opens the through holes 33a with the surface of the outer circumferential case part 31 other than the flame injection surface 31a as the through hole installation surface 31b. The through hole installation surface 31b is a surface adjacent to or close to the flame injection surface 31a. The through holes 33a are opened in a surface (through hole installation surface 31b) adjacent to or close to the surface (flame injection surface 31a) of the outer circumferential case part 31 from which the burner 23 injects flames. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, both side surfaces of the heat conduction case 30 are the flame injection surfaces 31a. The heat conduction case 30 can be efficiently heated from both side surfaces by the flame of the burner 23. In the figure, the front and back surfaces, which are different from the flame injection surfaces 31a on both sides, are used as through-hole installation surfaces 31b to prevent the flame injected from the burner 23 from directly entering through the through-holes, thereby preventing the battery 1 from being locally heated. While preventing the flame from entering through the through-holes, the heat from the outside of the heated thermally conductive case 30 is conducted to the inside, and the battery 1 can be heat-treated while the internal temperature is equalized, and the entire battery can be heated in a temperature range preferable for recovering valuable materials. In addition, the flame of the burner 23 heats the thermally conductive case 30, and the heated internal gas of the heated thermally conductive case 30 is prevented from rising and being discharged as it is, improving the heating efficiency, and reducing the thermal energy consumed in the heat treatment of the battery. In addition, the internal gas in the closed chamber is agitated by the convection action of the internal gas, and the battery placed in the closed chamber can be effectively heated and heat-treated with little temperature unevenness.

[0042] The heat conduction case 30 in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 has a plurality of through holes 33a as the exhaust section 33. The plurality of through holes 33a are arranged in a distributed manner in both the vertical direction and the width direction as shown in FIG. 3, and exhaust gas is discharged from each of the through holes 33a. The heat conduction case 30 can be provided with a required number of through holes 33a at appropriate positions, and the plurality of through holes 33a can be arranged in one or more rows, or in one or more rows. The heat conduction case 30 in FIG. 3 has the exhaust sections 33 arranged in multiple rows and multiple rows. Furthermore, the heat conduction case 30 in FIG. 3 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and the exhaust sections 33 are provided on both side surfaces of the heat conduction case 30. The heat conduction case 30 can be provided with the exhaust sections 33 on both side surfaces and both end surfaces, or can be provided with the exhaust sections 33 only on both end surfaces.

[0043] The heat conductive case 30 in FIG. 3 is provided with an exhaust section 33 consisting of a plurality of through holes 33a to form a heat conductive case 30 that is closed but not sealed, but the exhaust section 33 has a total opening area of ​​the plurality of through holes 33a that is preferably 10% or less of the total surface area of ​​the heat conductive case 30, and the internal gas of the heat conductive case 30 can be stirred by convection. The heat conductive case 30 that can stir the internal gas by convection can heat the battery 1 evenly and perform heat treatment in a state in which valuable materials can be efficiently recovered. The heat conductive case 30 provided with the exhaust section 33 consisting of a plurality of through holes 33a has a total opening area of ​​the plurality of exhaust sections 33 that is 10% or less of the total surface area of ​​the heat conductive case 30, but the heat conductive case 30 provided with a single exhaust section 33 has an opening area of ​​the single exhaust section 33 that is 10% or less of the total surface area of ​​the heat conductive case 30.

[0044] The exhaust section 33 is made up of a plurality of through holes 33a, and the opening area of ​​each through hole 33a is preferably 80 cm 2The opening area of ​​each through hole 33a is limited to the above range, and the total opening area of ​​the multiple through holes 33a is set to 10% or less. Through holes 33a with too large an opening area will allow an excessive amount of exhaust gas to flow out, which will hinder the convection action of the internal gas. Therefore, the opening area of ​​each through hole 33a is limited to the above range, preventing excessive outflow of internal gas and achieving a favorable convection action. If the opening area of ​​each through hole 33a is too small, exhaust gas from the battery 1 cannot be quickly discharged, so the opening area of ​​each through hole 33a is preferably 3cm or less. 2 Furthermore, if the total opening area of ​​the multiple through holes 33a is too small, exhaust section 33 cannot quickly exhaust exhaust gas to the outside when multiple batteries 1 are simultaneously exhausting exhaust gas, so the total opening area of ​​the multiple through holes 33a is set to 1% or more of the total surface area of ​​heat conductive case 30, so that exhaust gas can be quickly exhausted to the outside of heat conductive case 30 even when a large amount of exhaust gas is being exhausted from battery 1.

[0045] The heat treatment device 100 detects the battery temperature in the thermally conductive case 30, and controls the battery temperature to a set temperature to perform heat treatment. The heat treatment device 100 controls the heat energy of the heat treatment furnace 20 to heat the battery 1 to a set temperature so that the detected battery temperature falls within a preset temperature range. The set temperature for heating the battery 1 to heat treatment is set to a temperature at which valuables can be efficiently recovered by crushing, sorting, separating, classifying, or the like after the battery 1 is heated and heat treated. If the set temperature is too low, the heat-treated battery 1 cannot be crushed or pulverized to separate it into a state suitable for recovering valuables, and conversely, if the set temperature is too high, valuables cannot be recovered in a high-quality state. Therefore, for example, the set temperature for heat treatment is preferably 250°C or higher and 550°C or lower for the lithium-ion secondary battery 1. The heat treatment furnace 20 is provided with an exhaust treatment unit 24, which exhausts the internal air in the furnace and discharges the thermal energy of the battery 1, thereby adjusting the temperature inside the heat treatment furnace 20 and limiting the temperature rise.

[0046] The time it takes to heat and heat treat a battery varies depending on the type and structure of the battery, so the battery is heated to a set temperature, and the heat-treated batteries are crushed, pulverized, and sorted to confirm and identify a state in which valuable materials can be effectively recovered. For example, batteries with plastic exterior films such as lithium polymer secondary batteries can be heat-treated with short heating times, while batteries with metal exterior cans can be heat-treated with longer heating times. Furthermore, the heat treatment time for batteries separated into individual units differs from that for a single battery unit in which multiple batteries are housed in a metal exterior case; individual batteries can be heat-treated in a short time because the batteries are heated directly, but batteries housed in an exterior case take a longer time to heat-treat because the batteries are heated through the exterior case.

[0047] The heat treatment device 100 does not specify the atmosphere in which the battery 1 is heat-treated, but for example, the battery 1 is heat-treated in an air atmosphere or a low-oxygen atmosphere. In the air atmosphere, the heat treatment can be performed without controlling the atmosphere inside the thermally conductive case 30, reducing running costs, while in the low-oxygen atmosphere, the heat treatment can be performed while preventing oxidation of valuable materials. [Collection of valuables]

[0048] Valuable materials are recovered from the treated batteries that have been heat-treated in the heat treatment device 100, but the present disclosure does not particularly limit the method or device for recovering valuable materials from the treated batteries 1, and can be appropriately selected according to the configuration and mode of the batteries 1, the state of the treated batteries 1, the valuable materials to be recovered, and the purpose. For example, the recovery of valuable materials can include any of crushing, pulverization, sorting, separation, and classification of the treated batteries 1, and can further include other steps as necessary. The method of each step can be combined with multiple steps, or the steps can be performed in stages. For example, in the sorting step, sorting can be performed using wind force, magnetic force, sieves, etc., and these can be combined depending on the valuable materials to be recovered. Crushing involves crushing the treated batteries 1 to obtain crushed materials. Crushing involves crushing the batteries 1 into finer particles to obtain crushed materials. Valuable materials or materials containing valuable materials are sorted and separated using sieves, magnetic force, wind force, centrifugal force, suction force, etc. Classification involves separating crushed materials, such as coarse grain products and fine grain products, according to the size of the crushed materials and crushed materials. [Industrial Applicability]

[0049] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present disclosure can be suitably used as a battery heat treatment device and a battery valuable resource recovery method that can efficiently heat treat a battery and heat treat the battery to a state from which valuable resources can be efficiently recovered. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 100...Heat treatment device 1...Battery 20…Heat treatment furnace 23…Burner 24...Exhaust treatment section 25…Trolley 26...Wheel 30…Thermal conductive case 30a…Tabletop 30b…Bottom plate 31...Outer case part 31a...Flame injection surface 31b…Through hole installation surface 32A…Main body case 32B…Top lid 33…Exhaust section 33a...Through hole 34…Support leg 35...Flow gap 36…Exhaust duct 36a...Suction opening 36b…Discharge opening

Claims

1. A thermal conductive case in which the batteries from which valuables are recovered are placed and heat-treated; a heat treatment furnace for heating the thermally conductive case with a flame to heat the battery disposed therein, The thermal conductive case includes: A bottom plate on which the battery is placed; an outer periphery case part connected in a thermally conductive manner to an outer periphery of the bottom plate is made of a metal plate; The exhaust portion has an open, closed chamber structured to be closed but not sealed, The exhaust section is a through hole provided in the outer periphery case portion of the heat transfer case; or an exhaust duct penetrating the thermal conduction case; The through hole is an opening in the outer casing portion at a position higher than an upper end of the battery housed in the closed chamber; The exhaust duct is The heat transfer case is fixed to the outer periphery case portion or the top plate of the heat transfer case, An intake opening is opened to the inside of the thermal conduction case, An exhaust opening is opened to the outside of the thermal conduction case, The heat treatment furnace is a burner that ejects a flame toward the outer circumferential case portion of the heat transfer case, The burner injects a flame toward the surface of the outer casing portion, and the heat conduction case is heated by the flame. The battery heat treatment device heats and heat-treats the battery in the closed chamber using the heated thermal conduction case.

2. The battery heat treatment device according to claim 1, The through hole is A heat treatment device for a battery, the heat treatment device having an opening on a surface adjacent or close to the surface of the outer casing portion from which the burner sprays a flame.

3. The battery heat treatment device according to claim 1, The intake opening of the exhaust duct is A heat treatment device for a battery, the heat treatment device being disposed in the center of the thermally conductive case.

4. The battery heat treatment device according to claim 1, The thermal conductive case is A main body case having an opening at the top; a top cover for closing an upper end opening of the main body case in an openable and closable manner; The exhaust duct is fixed through the top cover, The suction opening is disposed inside the thermal conduction case. The discharge opening is disposed outside the thermally conductive case.

5. The battery heat treatment device according to claim 1, The heat treatment device for a battery, wherein the thermally conductive case has a plurality of the exhaust portions.

6. The battery heat treatment device according to claim 5, The total opening area of ​​the exhaust sections is 80 cm ２ 1. A battery heat treatment device as described below.

7. The battery heat treatment device according to claim 1, The heat treatment furnace is The battery heat treatment device is a continuous furnace that ejects flames toward the outer periphery case portion of the thermal conduction case.

8. The thermal conductive case containing the battery is placed in a heat treatment furnace. A heat treatment furnace injects a flame into the heat conductive case to heat it, a heat treatment step of heat-treating the battery through the heated thermal conductive case; A method for recovering valuable materials from batteries, comprising: a recovery step of crushing the batteries heat-treated in the heat treatment step to recover valuable materials, In the heat treatment step, the battery is heat-treated inside the heat conduction case. Providing a closed but not sealed closed chamber having an exhaust port; The battery is placed in the closed chamber and heated for heat treatment; The exhaust section, A through hole provided in an outer circumferential case portion of the heat conduction case; or An exhaust duct penetrating the heat conduction case, The through hole of the outer periphery case part, an opening in the outer casing portion located above the upper end of the battery to be stored; The exhaust duct is The outer periphery case part of the heat conduction case or the upper opening of the outer periphery case part is fixed to a top plate that closes the outer periphery case part, an intake opening is opened to the inside of the thermal conduction case and an exhaust opening is opened to the outside; The thermal conductive case is Heating the internal gas of the closed chamber with a flame emitted from the heat treatment furnace; The heated internal gas is caused to rise along the inner surface of the outer casing portion of the thermal conduction casing, The internal gas of the closed chamber is stirred by the convection action of the rising internal gas, A method for recovering valuable materials from batteries by heat treating the batteries inside a closed chamber.

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