Lithium-Ion Battery Metal Recovery by Cobalt-Nickel Electrowinning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lithium-ion battery recycling methods face challenges in efficiently recovering cobalt and nickel without using reactant-driven hydrometallurgical techniques, requiring complex and costly separation processes, and often involve hazardous materials and high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method involving shredding, roasting, acid-leaching, and electrowinning to recover cobalt and nickel in metallic form, eliminating the need for hazardous solvents and simplifying the separation process, with optional copper electrowinning to achieve high purity levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hydrometallurgical techniques are used to separate and precipitate metal ions, then most battery components can be recovered, but the recovered metals require additional processing to be returned to metallic form and hazardous solvents must be processed and disposed of
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the hazardous solvent extraction step from the traditional hydrometallurgical process. Instead of using organic solvents for selective precipitation, the process directly electrowins metals from acid leachates, eliminating the need for solvent recovery and disposal infrastructure while maintaining high metal recovery efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical precipitation mechanism with an electrochemical winning mechanism. Instead of using chemical reagents to precipitate metals from solution, electricity is applied to directly deposit metals in metallic form from the leachate, substituting a mechanical/electrical process for a chemical one and eliminating hazardous solvent requirements
2Adaptability or versatility
If complete separation of cobalt and nickel is performed, then a larger pool of end users is accessible, but complex and expensive separation techniques are required due to chemical similarity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the electrowinning process to enable selective deposition. By controlling voltage, current density, and pH parameters, the process can selectively win cobalt or nickel or both together from the same leachate, providing product flexibility without requiring complex separation infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The electrowinning process serves multiple functions: it can recover cobalt alone, nickel alone, or both metals simultaneously in controlled ratios. This single process replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate separation and purification lines, reducing device complexity while maintaining versatility for different end-user requirements
3Quantity of substance
If pyrometallurgical methods are used to melt and separate metals, then metals can be separated by density differences, but very large energy requirements are incurred and not all battery components can be recovered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses electrochemical phase transitions instead of thermal melting. Metals are deposited from aqueous solution in metallic form through electrochemical reduction at the cathode, avoiding the high-temperature melting and density-based separation required in pyrometallurgy, thereby dramatically reducing energy consumption while achieving complete metal recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal/pyrometallurgical separation mechanism with an electrochemical separation mechanism. Instead of melting materials and using density differences for separation, electricity is used to selectively deposit metals from solution, substituting a low-energy electrical process for a high-energy thermal one
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method allows for the recovery of cobalt and nickel as a high-purity metallic alloy, reducing processing costs and energy requirements, and enabling their use in metallurgical operations, such as stainless steel and superalloy production, with flexibility in cobalt/nickel ratios.
Implementation Method 1
electrowinning the leach liquor to form a recovered metal product comprising at least about 50% of the cobalt in the leach liquor and at least about 50% of the nickel in the leach liquor
Implementation Method 2
acid-leaching the roasted material to form a leach liquor comprising cobalt and nickel
Implementation Method 3
roasting the shredded material to form a roasted material
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for recovering metals from lithium-ion batteries, and specifically to methods and systems for recovering cobalt and nickel jointly in metallic form via electrowinning processes. The present disclosure further provides methods and systems for preparing lithium-ion battery materials for use in metal recovery processes.