Ternary Battery Waste Copper Removal With Low-Slag Leaching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ternary battery waste recycling methods, such as high temperature solid phase repair and hydrometallurgical extraction, face challenges in removing copper while maintaining the recovery of precious metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, leading to high impurity content and increased costs due to excessive iron and aluminum slag production.
Innovation Solution
A method involving crushing and screening of ternary battery waste, followed by magnetic separation of iron, alkaline solution treatment for aluminum removal, and iron salt solution leaching to extract copper, resulting in reduced chemical reagent usage and less slag production, with the goal of obtaining sponge copper without losing precious metals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hydrometallurgical extraction by leaching is used to recover precious metals, then nickel, cobalt and manganese can be recovered, but copper removal becomes difficult and large amounts of iron and aluminum slag are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the recycling process into distinct stages: first removing iron and aluminum through magnetic separation and alkaline treatment, then separately leaching copper, and finally recovering nickel, cobalt and manganese. This segmentation allows each impurity to be removed by its specific property without generating excessive slag, as each removal step targets only the intended impurity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing selective reagents at different stages: alkaline solution as intermediary to remove aluminum, iron salt solution to leach copper, and iron powder to replace copper in solution. Each intermediary targets specific impurities without affecting precious metals, thereby avoiding large-scale slag production while enabling effective copper removal.
2Quantity of substance
If copper is removed by replacing with iron powder in the nickel-cobalt-manganese solution, then copper can be removed, but iron and aluminum slag increases making filtration difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by removing iron and aluminum through magnetic separation and alkaline treatment before the copper removal step. This preliminary removal of other impurities ensures that when iron powder is later added to replace copper, minimal additional slag is generated, keeping the total solid content low and filtration straightforward.
3Reliability
If high temperature calcination is used to repair ternary material performance, then electrochemical performance can be restored, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the material treatment process by using low-temperature chemical leaching and selective replacement methods instead of high-temperature calcination. By adjusting chemical parameters (using iron salt solution and iron powder at lower temperatures), the patent achieves effective copper removal and material purification without the high energy input required for thermal processing, thus reducing energy consumption while maintaining material quality.
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 effectively removes most copper from ternary battery waste with minimal loss of nickel, cobalt, and manganese, reduces chemical reagent usage and slag production, and achieves low energy consumption, making the process environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
removing iron from the powder by magnetic separation
Implementation Method 2
Adding an alkaline solution to the iron-removed ternary waste to perform an aluminum removal reaction
Implementation Method 3
Adding an iron salt solution to the copper-containing nickel-cobalt-manganese material to perform a leaching process
Implementation Method 4
Adding iron powder to the leachate and stirring to perform a reaction, filtering to obtain a copper-removed liquid and a copper-containing filter residue
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a method for removing elemental copper from ternary battery waste and its application. The method comprises the following steps: crushing and screening the ternary battery waste to obtain a powder, and then removing iron by magnetic separation to obtain an iron-removed ternary waste; Adding an alkaline solution to the iron-removed ternary waste to perform an aluminum removal reaction, filtering to obtain a filter slag and aluminum-containing wastewater, washing the filter slag with water and drying to obtain a copper-nickel-cobalt-manganese material. Adding an iron salt solution to the copper-nickel-containing material to perform a leaching process, filtering to obtain a leachate and a nickel-cobalt-manganese waste; adding iron powder to the leachate and stirring to perform a reaction, filtering to obtain a copper residue, washing the copper residue with water and drying to obtain a copper-removed liquid and a sponge copper.