Lithium-Ion Battery Waste Leaching With Selective Impurity Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for processing lithium-ion battery waste face challenges in efficiently removing aluminum and iron, and achieving high leaching rates for desired valuable metals like nickel and cobalt.
Innovation Solution
A hydrometallurgical processing method involving the use of ammonia, amine compounds, and acids to dissolve cobalt and nickel, followed by solid-liquid separation to remove unwanted metals like aluminum, iron, and manganese, thereby enhancing the recovery rates of nickel and cobalt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hydrometallurgical processing is used to dissolve valuable metals, then cobalt and nickel can be recovered, but aluminum and iron cannot be efficiently removed from the leachate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes aluminum and iron from the leachate through selective precipitation processes. By controlling pH levels and using specific reagents, aluminum and iron are precipitated as hydroxides and separated from the solution, effectively taking out the harmful elements while preserving cobalt and nickel in the dissolved state
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes, specifically pH adjustment, to control the solubility and precipitation behavior of different metals. By carefully controlling the pH of the leachate, the patent achieves selective precipitation of aluminum and iron hydroxides while keeping cobalt and nickel in solution, thus resolving the contradiction between metal recovery and impurity removal
2Object-generated harmful factors
If pre-stage and post-stage neutralization are performed to remove aluminum, then some aluminum can be precipitated, but the process is complex and does not achieve efficient removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adjusting the pH of the leachate to specific ranges before subsequent processing steps. This preliminary pH adjustment creates optimal conditions for selective precipitation of aluminum and iron, simplifying the overall process by preparing the solution in advance for efficient impurity removal without requiring multiple complex neutralization stages
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a multi-functional processing approach where a single pH adjustment step serves multiple purposes: it prepares the leachate for aluminum removal, facilitates iron precipitation, and maintains conditions favorable for cobalt and nickel recovery. This universal step replaces the need for separate pre-stage and post-stage neutralization processes
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
The method achieves high recovery rates of nickel and cobalt while significantly reducing the residual amounts of aluminum, iron, and manganese, allowing for selective recovery of these valuable metals.
Implementation Method 1
a hydrometallurgical processing step of adding at least one compound (1) selected from the group consisting of ammonia and a salt thereof, and an amine compound and a salt thereof to the lithium-ion battery waste and mixing them to obtain the leachate in which at least the cobalt and the nickel are dissolved
Implementation Method 2
an acid is added in addition to the compound (1) and mixed in the hydrometallurgical processing step
Implementation Method 3
a solid-liquid separation step of removing at least a part of metals not dissolved in the leachate by solid-liquid separation after the hydrometallurgical processing step
Data Source
AI summary
A method for processing a lithium-ion battery waste by hydrometallurgical processing of the lithium-ion battery waste to obtain a leachate in which at least cobalt and nickel are dissolved, the method comprising: a hydrometallurgical processing step of adding at least one compound (1) selected from the group consisting of ammonia and a salt thereof, and an amine compound and a salt thereof to the lithium-ion battery waste and mixing them to obtain the leachate in which at least the cobalt and the nickel are dissolved; and a solid-liquid separation step of removing at least a part of metals not dissolved in the leachate by solid-liquid separation after the hydrometallurgical processing step.