The invention relates to a method for recovering
nickel and
cobalt from a mixture of compounds of these metals from the recycling of spent
lithium-
ion batteries, comprising the following steps: a)
digestion of a mixture of
nickel and
cobalt compounds in a solution containing
hydrochloric acid having a concentration of more than 25
mass %, in case the mixture of
nickel and
cobalt compounds is
solid; or bringing the mixture of nickel and
cobalt compounds to a
hydrochloric acid concentration of more than 25
mass %, in case the mixture of nickel and
cobalt compounds is a solution; b) activation of
ion-exchange resin in a column using
hydrochloric acid; c) passing the solution from step a) through the column filled with the
ion-exchange resin activated in step b); d) washing the column with hydrochloric acid having a concentration of more than 25
mass % in order to wash out the remaining solution containing
nickel ions; e) washing the column with hydrochloric acid having a concentration of less than 10 mass % in order to wash out
cobalt ions; f) extraction
distillation of the nickel ion solution obtained in step d) in hydrochloric acid using sulfuric(VI) acid; phase separation in a spent liquid; recycling of a filtrate to
distillation;
dissolution of nickel
sulfate(VI) and
electrolysis in order to recover
metallic nickel; g) extraction
distillation of the cobalt ion solution obtained in step e) in hydrochloric acid using sulfuric(VI) acid; phase separation in a spent liquid; recycling of a filtrate to distillation;
dissolution of
cobalt sulfate(VI) and
electrolysis in order to recover metallic cobalt; h) extraction distillation of the solution of diluted hydrochloric acid with nickel and
cobalt ions obtained after the activation of the ion-exchange resin in step b), using sulfuric(VI) acid; phase separation in a spent liquid; recycling of a filtrate to distillation; recycling of a mixture of the formed
cobalt sulfate(VI) and nickel
sulfate(VI) to
digestion in step a); i) rectification of diluted hydrochloric acid having a concentration below the azeotropic concentration (approx. 20.2 mass % at
atmospheric pressure) formed in extraction distillation processes in steps f)-h) in order to concentrate hydrochloric acid and recover and recycle of water; recycling of concentrated hydrochloric acid to extraction distillation in steps f)-h).