Solvent extraction apparatus of waste battery for preventing organic impurity mixing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities, which extracts rare earth elements using an aqueous leaching agent and an organic extractant. The device is characterized by comprising a mixing section for mixing the organic phase and the aqueous phase, a stirring section for stirring the organic phase and the aqueous phase, a first input section for introducing the organic phase, a second input section for introducing the aqueous phase, a settling section for separating the organic phase and the aqueous phase vertically, a first discharge section for discharging the organic phase, a second discharge section for discharging the aqueous phase, and an incorporation prevention section for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities floating inside the settling section. Accordingly, by installing an incorporation prevention section on the upper part of the settling section, the present invention prevents the incorporation of impurities at the organic phase interface of the settling tank where the aqueous phase and the organic phase are separated, and provides the effect of separating and removing microbubbles or fine suspended matter that were not separated.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities, and more specifically, to a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities that extracts rare earth elements using an aqueous leaching agent and an organic extractant. Background Technology

[0002] Unlike primary batteries that are used once and discarded, lithium-ion batteries are reusable and are widely used as batteries for portable IT devices due to their higher output and superior charge / discharge performance compared to conventional secondary batteries.

[0003] The structure of a lithium secondary battery is largely composed of four materials: a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte, and a separator. With the launch of second-generation electric vehicles, the demand for secondary batteries is increasing, and the market for various small batteries, such as E-Bikes and power tools utilizing secondary batteries, is expanding.

[0004] In particular, due to factors such as soaring raw material prices and the revitalization of the electric vehicle market, the global market for recycling used electric vehicle batteries is expected to grow enormously. Used electric vehicle batteries contain large amounts of valuable metals essential for battery composition, such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, lithium, and zinc, and given that the lifespan of an electric vehicle battery is 10 years, the market for recycling used electric vehicle batteries is expected to grow rapidly.

[0005] Meanwhile, for the recycling of used batteries, metal ions can be recovered by dissolving the powder obtained by crushing and grinding the used batteries in sulfuric acid and then performing leaching, purification, and solvent extraction.

[0006] Currently, the recycling method for used batteries requires performing the solvent extraction process multiple times to selectively recover ions during solvent extraction, but there is a problem in selectively separating impurities such as calcium, magnesium, and manganese from target metals such as zinc and cobalt.

[0007] In particular, there is a problem in that the process becomes complicated when applied in the field because control methods for impurities such as calcium, magnesium, and manganese, which are extracted in the same pH range during solvent extraction of zinc, cobalt, etc., have not been commercialized.

[0008] Meanwhile, the solvent extraction process (SSX process) for recycling used secondary batteries is a process that simultaneously extracts zinc and cobalt using two solvents, and alkaline reagents such as caustic soda (NaOH) and soda ash (Na2CO3) are added to adjust the appropriate pH in order to increase the extraction rate.

[0009] Although the alkaline reagent introduced by the above method increases the extraction rate by adjusting the pH, it reacts with cobalt or manganese to precipitate as cobalt carbonate (CoCO3) or manganese carbonate (MnCO3), which reduces the extraction rate and causes the decomposition of the extractant, making it difficult to recover zinc and cobalt.

[0010] In particular, the above SSX process cannot introduce diluents and extractants in the same way as general solvent extraction, and due to changes in the unit metal amount that the extractant can accommodate depending on the introduction of diluents and extractants, it can cause severe decomposition of the extractant.

[0011] Meanwhile, the SSX process described above may be composed of a feed tank for storing the raffinate, a raffinate tank for storing the raffinate that has been extracted from valuable metals at the extraction stage, a loaded organic tank for storing and supplying the solvent, a holding tank for storing the solution / solvent that drains out of the process for various reasons, a coalescer for recovering the solvent from the concentrate and raffinate, and a crud treatment device for treating the crud, which is an impurity generated during the operation.

[0012] Meanwhile, for field application of the SSX process, it can be composed of extraction, washing, and stripping stages, as well as a coalescer for solvent recovery and a crud treatment stage. In this case, the extraction, washing, and stripping stages can be designed in multiple stages depending on the characteristics of the process during plant design.

[0013] Meanwhile, in general solvent extraction, when the solution / solvent (aqueous / organic) cannot be circulated due to a shutdown of operations caused by plant equipment or planned maintenance, the entire solvent remaining in the loaded organic tank, various stirring tanks, and settlers is exposed to an anhydrous condition.

[0014] However, the solution / solvent remains stable even during shutdowns, and the retained solvent does not seriously affect the degradation of the extractant even when exposed to an anhydrous environment. Nevertheless, in the SSX process, exposure of the solvent to an anhydrous environment seriously affects the degradation of the extractant, so an anhydrous environment must be prevented.

[0015] In addition, if the SSX process makes it difficult to circulate the solution / solvent during operation for any reason, the metal extracted from the solvent must be rapidly removed to maintain a low total molar metal / molar oxime level.

[0016] In the situation described above, if the metal in the solvent is not removed, the total molar metal relative to the removed solvent increases, and the total molar metal / molar oxime ratio becomes high, which has a serious effect on the decomposition of the extractant.

[0017] Therefore, the shutdown procedure must necessarily include a stripping step to remove metals contained in the solvent, and this requires efforts to suppress extractant decomposition even under the above-mentioned situation by maintaining low total molar metal / molar oxime levels in the SSX process.

[0018] The aforementioned SSX process has a problem in that it cannot be operated using the same technique as general solvent extraction, as operating it in the same way as conventional solvent extraction causes accelerated decomposition when the solution / solvent circulation is difficult or the solvent is in an anhydrous environment.

[0019] In addition, mined rare earth ores are produced into concentrated concentrates through a beneficiation process and converted into a leaching solution through various pretreatment processes. Subsequently, a solvent extraction process using organic solvent extractants is employed to purify each rare earth element.

[0020] Furthermore, the solvent extraction process largely consists of saponification, extraction, scrubbing, and stripping processes, and a continuous multi-stage mixer-settler is typically used in the solvent extraction process.

[0021] This solvent extraction process is a purification process that extracts in multiple stages by utilizing the difference in extraction rates of each rare earth element, using a leachate and an extractant suitable for the process.

[0022] In conventional solvent extraction processes, extraction is performed using a counter-current method by maintaining a constant input ratio of the extractant (organic phase) and the leachate (aqueous phase) to be extracted. Since this method involves a reaction where the rare earth concentrations in the organic phase and the rare earth concentration in the aqueous phase reach equilibrium, the variables controlled in actual operation are limited to the concentration of the organic phase, the input ratio, the concentration of the aqueous phase, the input ratio, and the pH value of the input aqueous phase; consequently, there was no method to control the extraction rate at each extraction stage.

[0023] In conventional processes, the concentration and amount of the organic phase (extractant) at the organic phase input section of the extraction unit are already determined, and the pH of the aqueous phase, another factor, is determined at the aqueous phase input section; consequently, one must wait until the input organic phase and aqueous phase are discharged, which presents a problem in that process variables cannot be artificially controlled during the process.

[0024] Therefore, among the various factors controllable in the solvent extraction process, the extraction rate can be controlled by controlling the input amounts of the organic phase and pH regulator in the sedimentation tank, but there was a problem that the effect was negligible. Prior art literature

[0025] Republic of Korea Published Patent No. 10-2015-0124506 (November 06, 2015) Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 10-2330454 (November 24, 2021) Republic of Korea Published Patent No. 10-2023-0086105 (June 15, 2023) The problem to be solved

[0026] The present invention was devised to resolve the aforementioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic phase impurities, which prevents the incorporation of impurities at the organic phase interface of a sedimentation tank where the aqueous phase and the organic phase are separated by installing an incorporation prevention part on the upper part of the sedimentation part, and can separate and remove microbubbles or fine suspended matter that were not separated.

[0027] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to provide a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic phase impurities, which can improve the extraction rate of the equipment by preventing and removing impurities not separated from the organic phase in the sedimentation tank by providing a support piece and an incorporation prevention piece as an incorporation prevention part.

[0028] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to provide a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic phase impurities, wherein the device is equipped with a mixing tank, an input wall, a barrier wall, and a discharge wall as a mixing section, thereby forming an auxiliary tank by means of the input wall at the bottom of the mixing tank to mix the organic phase and the aqueous phase, allowing the mixture to flow in through the communication space of the input wall and be stirred at the bottom of the stirring section, so as to improve the input performance and stirring performance of the organic phase and the aqueous phase.

[0029] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to provide a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the mixing of organic phase impurities, which can improve the sedimentation separation performance and discharge performance of the sedimentation tank by providing a sedimentation tank and a first discharge port and a second discharge port as a sedimentation section, thereby separating the organic phase and the aqueous phase into an upper layer and a lower layer within the sedimentation tank by the difference in specific gravity and gravity, and discharging them from the upper layer and the lower layer, respectively. means of solving the problem

[0030] The present invention, for achieving the above-mentioned purpose, is a solvent extraction device for waste batteries that extracts rare earth elements using an aqueous phase leaching agent and an organic phase extractant, comprising: a mixing unit (10) for mixing an organic phase and an aqueous phase; a stirring unit (20) installed inside the mixing unit (10) for stirring the organic phase and the aqueous phase; a first input unit (30) installed at one side of the lower part of the mixing unit (10) for introducing the organic phase; a second input unit (40) installed at the other side of the lower part of the mixing unit (10) for introducing the aqueous phase; a settling unit (50) connected to the downstream side of the mixing unit (10) for separating the organic phase and the aqueous phase mixed in the mixing unit (10) into upper and lower parts; a first discharge unit (60) installed upstream of the downstream side of the settling unit (50) for discharging the organic phase; and a second discharge unit (70) installed downstream of the settling unit (50) for discharging the aqueous phase. It is characterized by including an ingress prevention part (80) installed upstream of the interior of the sedimentation part (50) to prevent the ingress of organic impurities floating inside the sedimentation part (50).

[0031] The above-described ingress prevention member (80) of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a support member installed downward from the upper surface inside the sedimentation member (50); and an ingress prevention member installed at one end of the support member to remove organic impurities floating inside the sedimentation member (50).

[0032] The above-mentioned anti-infection piece of the present invention is characterized by being composed of an anti-infection plate having a plurality of separation holes formed therein to separate and remove impurities from the organic phase.

[0033] The mixing unit (10) of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a mixing tank for mixing an organic phase and a water phase; an input wall connected to the lower part of the mixing tank to guide the introduction of the organic phase and the water phase; a blocking wall installed at the upper part of the mixing tank to block the overflow of the organic phase and the water phase; and a discharge wall installed downstream of the mixing tank to guide the discharge of the organic phase and the water phase to the sedimentation unit (50).

[0034] The sedimentation unit (50) of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a sedimentation tank that separates the organic phase and the water phase mixed in the mixing unit (10) into upper and lower sections; a first discharge port installed upstream of the sedimentation tank to discharge the organic phase; and a second discharge port installed downstream of the sedimentation tank to discharge the water phase. Effects of the invention

[0035] As described above, the present invention prevents the incorporation of impurities at the organic phase interface of a sedimentation tank in which the aqueous phase and the organic phase are separated by installing an incorporation prevention part at the top of the sedimentation part, and provides the effect of separating and removing microbubbles or fine suspended matter that were not separated.

[0036] In addition, by providing a support piece and an anti-infection piece as an anti-infection part, it is possible to prevent and remove the infection of impurities not separated from the organic phase in the sedimentation tank, thereby providing the effect of improving the extraction rate of the equipment.

[0037] In addition, by providing a mixing tank, an input wall, a barrier wall, and a discharge wall as a mixing section, an auxiliary tank is formed by the input wall at the bottom of the mixing tank to mix the organic phase and the aqueous phase, which then flow in through the communication space of the input wall and are stirred at the bottom of the stirring section, thereby providing the effect of improving the input and stirring performance of the organic phase and the aqueous phase.

[0038] In addition, by providing a settling tank and a first discharge port and a second discharge port as a settling section, the organic phase and the aqueous phase are separated into an upper layer and a lower layer within the settling tank by the difference in specific gravity and gravity, and discharged from the upper and lower layers respectively, thereby providing the effect of improving the settling separation performance and discharge performance of the settling tank. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0039] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram showing an ingress prevention section of a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the ingress of organic impurities according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram showing an ingress prevention piece of an ingress prevention part of a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the ingress of organic impurities according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0040] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram showing an incorporation prevention part of a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram showing an incorporation prevention piece of an incorporation prevention part of a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the incorporation of organic impurities according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a mixing section (10), a stirring section (20), a first input section (30), a second input section (40), a sedimentation section (50), a first discharge section (60), a second discharge section (70), and an incorporation prevention section (80), and is a solvent extraction device for waste batteries that extracts rare earth elements using an aqueous leaching liquid and an organic extractant.

[0043] The mixing section (10) is a mixing member that mixes an organic phase and a water phase to extract rare earth elements from a waste battery using a water phase leaching agent and an organic phase extractant, and is composed of a mixing tank (11), an input wall (12), a barrier wall (13), and a discharge wall (14).

[0044] The mixing tank (11) is a mixing member that mixes an organic phase and a water phase by introducing them, and is composed of a reaction tank that mixes a leachate of the water phase and an extractant of the organic phase to extract rare earth elements from waste batteries.

[0045] The input wall (12) is a wall member that is connected to the lower part of the mixing tank (11) to guide the introduction of organic phase and water phase, and the organic phase and water phase are introduced through the first input part (30) and the second input part (40), which are respectively connected to the lower part of the mixing tank (11), so that the organic phase and water phase are mixed and introduced through the connecting space of the input wall (12).

[0046] The barrier wall (13) is a wall member installed at the top of the mixing tank (11) to block the overflow of organic phase and water phase, and is installed extending downward at the upper downstream end of the mixing tank (11) to block the overflow when the organic phase and water phase mixed in the mixing tank (11) are discharged to the settling section (50).

[0047] The discharge wall (14) is a wall member installed downstream of the mixing tank (11) to guide the discharge of organic phase and water phase to the sedimentation section (50), and is installed upward from the lower downstream end of the mixing tank (11) to guide the discharge of the organic phase and water phase mixed in the mixing tank (11) to the sedimentation section (50).

[0048] The stirring unit (20) is a stirring member that is rotatably installed inside the mixing unit (10) to stir the organic phase and the water phase, and is composed of an impeller or a rotating blade for stirring the organic phase introduced into the mixing unit (10) and evenly mixing the organic phase introduced into the mixing unit (10) by introducing the organic phase and the water phase through an inlet of an input wall (12) formed on the bottom inside the mixing unit (10).

[0049] The first input section (30) is an input member installed on one side of the lower side of the mixing section (10) to introduce an organic phase, and is connected to the lower side of the mixing tank (11) to introduce an organic phase extractant into the lower interior of the stirring section (20).

[0050] The second input section (40) is an input member installed on the lower side of the mixing section (10) to input water, and is connected to the lower part of the mixing tank (11) to allow the leachate of the water to flow into the lower interior of the stirring section (20).

[0051] The sedimentation section (50) is a sedimentation member connected to the downstream side of the mixing section (10) and separating the organic phase and the water phase mixed in the mixing section (10) by a difference in specific gravity, and is composed of a sedimentation tank (51), a first discharge port (52), a second discharge port (53), and a sedimentation guide (54).

[0052] The sedimentation tank (51) is a separating member connected to the downstream side of the mixing section (10) to separate the organic phase and the water phase mixed in the mixing section (10) by a difference in specific gravity, and is composed of a separating tank that separates the organic phase and the water phase mixed in the mixing section (10) by a difference in specific gravity.

[0053] The first discharge port (52) is a discharge member installed upstream of the sedimentation tank (51) to discharge organic phase, and is composed of a discharge means having a cross-section formed in the shape of an "L" to discharge organic phase rising upward from inside the sedimentation tank (51).

[0054] The second discharge port (53) is a discharge member installed downstream of the sedimentation tank (51) to discharge water, and is composed of a discharge means with a cross-section formed in a roughly "┌" shape to suck in and discharge water settling downward inside the sedimentation tank (51).

[0055] The first discharge unit (60) is a discharge member installed on one side downstream of the sedimentation unit (50) to discharge the organic phase overflow, and is connected to the first discharge port (52) installed upstream downstream of the sedimentation tank (51) to discharge the organic phase that rises upward and overflows from inside the sedimentation tank (51) to the lower part of the stirring unit (20) of the subsequent solvent extraction facility.

[0056] The second discharge unit (70) is a discharge member installed on one side downstream of the sedimentation unit (50) to discharge water, and is connected to a second discharge port (53) installed downstream of the sedimentation tank (51) so that water settling downward inside the sedimentation tank (51) is sucked into the second discharge port (53) by hydrostatic pressure and discharged to the lower part of the stirring unit (20) of the subsequent solvent extraction facility.

[0057] The mixing prevention member (80) is a mixing prevention member installed upstream of the sedimentation section (50) to prevent the mixing of organic impurities floating inside the sedimentation section (50), and is composed of a support piece (81) and a mixing prevention piece (82).

[0058] The support member (81) is a support member installed downward from the upper surface inside the sedimentation section (50), and fixes and supports one end of the ingress prevention member (82) to prevent organic impurities floating inside the sedimentation section (50).

[0059] These support members (81) form a separation wall to prevent organic impurities separated by interposing the anti-mixture member (82) from being discharged together with the organic phase, thereby allowing them to be discharged separately from the organic phase.

[0060] The ingress prevention member (82) is installed horizontally at one end of the support member (81) to remove organic impurities floating inside the sedimentation section (50), and is composed of an ingress prevention plate in the form of a lip structure having a plurality of separation holes (82a) formed to separate and remove impurities such as microbubbles or fine floating matter floating in the organic phase.

[0061] The solvent extraction device for waste batteries according to the present invention is a facility for solvent extracting valuable metals from a leaching solution obtained by leaching black mass secured in the upstream process of lithium secondary battery waste recycling with acid or sulfuric acid, and since it is a facility capable of separating and removing impurities such as microbubbles or fine suspended particles rising in the organic phase during the process, it can be utilized in the secondary battery recycling industry.

[0062] The solvent extraction device, a core piece of equipment used in the secondary battery waste recycling industry, is a technology that leaches black mass in acid or sulfuric acid in the previous process, separates solids such as natural and artificial graphite—solids insoluble in acid—through a filter press to secure a leaching solution, and separates the acid-ionized metal elements by utilizing the difference in the separation factor of the solvent extractant.

[0063] The solvent extraction process is divided into saponification, extraction, washing, and stripping processes, and has the following objectives.

[0064] The purpose of the saponification process is to replace some of the hydrogen groups of the extractant in the organic solution with Na ions, thereby preventing a change in process efficiency caused by the detachment of hydrogen groups from the extractant during the solvent extraction process, which in turn alters the pH of the solution.

[0065] The purpose of the extraction process is to transfer the target metal from the aqueous mixture to the organic phase, and the purpose of the washing process is to achieve high purity by excluding metal ions extracted along with the target metal from the aqueous mixture to the organic phase.

[0066] The purpose of the stripping process is to transfer the metal purified in the organic phase to the aqueous phase, and to perform this process, it is divided into a zone for evenly stirring the organic phase and the aqueous phase, and a zone for separating the emulsified solution into the organic phase and the aqueous phase.

[0067] In the mixing process, there is a pipe through which the organic phase and the aqueous phase are introduced into a rectangular or circular chamber, and an impeller for stirring and a chamber for transfer exist separately, or a pump-mix impeller is provided to simultaneously perform the functions of sucking in and stirring the liquid phase within a single chamber, so the flow rate of the introduced material, the shape of the impeller, and the rotational speed are major variables.

[0068] In the sedimentation process, a rectangular or circular chamber exists, and physical separation proceeds according to the upper value by adjusting the flow rate of the liquid phase evenly mixed in the mixing process to a constant level. At the rear end of the sedimentation tank, there is a zone in the upper layer where only the organic phase is discharged, and a discharge port in the lower layer where only the aqueous phase is discharged.

[0069] The mixing area of ​​the mixing tank (11) is configured so that a quantitative amount can be supplied to the pump-mix impeller by placing a sub-tank through an input wall (12) at the bottom of the impeller of the stirring section (20), rather than having the pipe directly connected at the inlet where the organic phase and the water phase are introduced.

[0070] In addition, a baffle structure is placed on the side of the mixing tank (11) to increase stirring performance. An emulsion solution containing an organic phase and a water phase is overflowed by a pump mixer and guided to a sedimentation tank (51). In the sedimentation tank (51), the emulsion solution is separated into an organic phase and a water phase by gravity.

[0071] After the organic phase and the water phase are separated by density difference at the rear end of the sedimentation tank (51), the organic phase is discharged as an overflow and fed into the next process, and the water phase is guided to the upper part of the device through the vertical pipe at the bottom due to water head pressure, and the water phase guided in this way is fed into the next process.

[0072] Accordingly, the present invention prevents the incorporation of impurities at the organic phase interface of a sedimentation tank in which the aqueous phase and the organic phase are separated, and enables the separation and removal of microbubbles or fine suspended particles that were not separated.

[0073] In other words, in solvent extraction devices commonly used in the waste battery industry, the organic phase discharge section utilizes overflow to discharge the organic phase after the aqueous and organic phases are separated.

[0074] In the above process, microbubbles or fine suspended particles may overflow together and affect the next process. Therefore, to prevent the mixing of fine suspended particles, a lip-shaped structure is added to the discharge section to prevent mixing.

[0075] In the case of the organic phase discharge section at the rear end of the sedimentation tank, the organic phase is usually discharged by inducing an overflow, but as shown in Fig. 2, a structure such as a mixing prevention section is installed to prevent suspended material from being mixed into the discharge section.

[0076] In this way, the structure of the ingress prevention part is designed with an aspect ratio of 1:1 to 1:10, and the height (h1) of the structure is positioned at a location of 10 to 100 mm from the interface of the organic phase. The support piece, which is a vertical structure, is made of a closed structure in the form of a plate.

[0077] In the case of the substructure, it is made of an anti-ingression plate with multiple separation holes perforated in a square or circular shape of 20x20mm to allow floating matter to enter the interface.

[0078] It is desirable to perforate the separation holes to a size of 10 mm or more so that microbubbles or suspended particles can pass through, and it is desirable to place the horizontal structure, the anti-inclusion plate, in a direction horizontal to the water surface so as not to obstruct the flow of the organic phase.

[0079] As explained above, according to the present invention, by installing an ingress prevention part at the top of the sedimentation part, the ingress of impurities at the organic phase interface of the sedimentation tank, where the aqueous phase and the organic phase are separated, is prevented, and the effect of separating and removing microbubbles or fine suspended matter that were not separated is provided.

[0080] In addition, by providing a support piece and an anti-infection piece as an anti-infection part, it is possible to prevent and remove the infection of impurities not separated from the organic phase in the sedimentation tank, thereby providing the effect of improving the extraction rate of the equipment.

[0081] In addition, by providing a mixing tank, an input wall, a barrier wall, and a discharge wall as a mixing section, an auxiliary tank is formed by the input wall at the bottom of the mixing tank to mix the organic phase and the aqueous phase, which then flow in through the communication space of the input wall and are stirred at the bottom of the stirring section, thereby providing the effect of improving the input and stirring performance of the organic phase and the aqueous phase.

[0082] In addition, by providing a settling tank and a first discharge port and a second discharge port as a settling section, the organic phase and the aqueous phase are separated into an upper layer and a lower layer within the settling tank by the difference in specific gravity and gravity, and discharged from the upper and lower layers respectively, thereby providing the effect of improving the settling separation performance and discharge performance of the settling tank.

[0083] The invention described above may be implemented in various other forms without departing from its technical concept or main features. Accordingly, the above embodiments are merely examples in all respects and should not be interpreted restrictively. Explanation of the symbols

[0084] 10: Mixing section 20: Stirring section 30: 1st input section 40: 2nd input section 50: Sedimentation section 60: First discharge section 70: Second discharge section 80: Mixing prevention section

Claims

Claim 1 A solvent extraction device for waste batteries that extracts rare earth elements using an aqueous phase leaching agent and an organic phase extractant, comprising: a mixing unit (10) for mixing an organic phase and an aqueous phase; a stirring unit (20) installed inside the mixing unit (10) for stirring the organic phase and the aqueous phase; a first input unit (30) installed at one side of the lower part of the mixing unit (10) for introducing the organic phase; a second input unit (40) installed at the other side of the lower part of the mixing unit (10) for introducing the aqueous phase; a settling unit (50) connected to the downstream part of the mixing unit (10) for separating the organic phase and the aqueous phase mixed in the mixing unit (10) into upper and lower parts; a first discharge unit (60) installed upstream of the downstream part of the settling unit (50) for discharging the organic phase; and a second discharge unit (70) installed downstream of the settling unit (50) for discharging the aqueous phase. A solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the mixing of organic impurities, comprising: a mixing prevention part (80) installed upstream of the interior of the sedimentation part (50) to prevent the mixing of organic impurities floating inside the sedimentation part (50); wherein the mixing prevention part (80) comprises a support piece (81) formed of a closed plate structure that is vertically installed from the upper surface downwards inside the sedimentation part (50), and a mixing prevention piece (82) formed of a mixing prevention plate that is installed horizontally at one end of the support piece and has a plurality of separation holes (82a) formed to remove fine floating matter. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 A solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the mixing of organic phase impurities according to claim 1, wherein the mixing section (10) comprises: a mixing tank for mixing an organic phase and a water phase; an input wall connected to the lower part of the mixing tank to guide the introduction of the organic phase and the water phase; a blocking wall installed at the upper part of the mixing tank to block the overflow of the organic phase and the water phase; and a discharge wall installed downstream of the mixing tank to guide the discharge of the organic phase and the water phase to the sedimentation section (50). Claim 5 A solvent extraction device for waste batteries for preventing the mixing of organic phase impurities according to claim 1, wherein the sedimentation unit (50) comprises: a sedimentation tank that separates the organic phase and the aqueous phase mixed in the mixing unit (10) into upper and lower sections; a first discharge port installed upstream of the sedimentation tank for discharging the organic phase; and a second discharge port installed downstream of the sedimentation tank for discharging the aqueous phase.

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