Black Mass Flotation for Cathode Recovery Without Smelting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current recycling methods for lithium-ion batteries are inefficient in separating cathode materials from anode and carbon materials without high-temperature treatments or inert atmospheres, leading to hazardous conditions and reduced recovery value.
Innovation Solution
A froth flotation method using an aqueous medium with a hydrophilic depressant and hydrocarbon collector to separate cathode materials from anode and carbon materials, eliminating the need for high-temperature pretreatment and inert atmospheres, and achieving high selectivity and purity of the recovered cathode material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional high-temperature smelting or hydrometallurgical processing is used to separate cathode materials, then separation effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases and hazardous conditions are created
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental parameters of the separation process from high-temperature thermal processing to ambient-temperature aqueous flotation. By using a hydrocarbon collector and hydrophilic depressant in water at ambient conditions, the process achieves effective separation without the energy-intensive heating required by conventional smelting or hydrometallurgical methods
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal/chemical systems (smelting furnaces, acid digestion) with a mechanical flotation system. The flotation cell uses mechanical agitation and air bubbles to separate materials based on surface properties, substituting the need for high-temperature thermal energy with mechanical energy input
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional high-temperature smelting or hydrometallurgical processing is used to separate cathode materials, then separation effectiveness is improved, but hazardous conditions are created
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the naturally occurring surface properties of the materials (hydrophobicity of carbon materials, hydrophilicity of cathode materials) into the separation mechanism. By using these inherent properties with aqueous flotation, the process avoids creating hazardous conditions while achieving effective separation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an aqueous medium with specific reagents (hydrocarbon collector, hydrophilic depressant) as an intermediary between the materials to be separated. This intermediary enables selective attachment to different materials without requiring harsh thermal or chemical conditions that create hazards
3Quantity of substance
If cathode materials are recovered as smelter alloy or separated salts, then metal recovery is achieved, but the original cathode material structure and value are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and recovers the cathode materials (LCO, NMC, LFP) in their intact particulate form from the black mass, separating them from anode materials and binders without dissolving or smelting them into alloys or salts. This preserves the valuable cathode material structure for direct reuse
Solution Approach 2:
The invention selectively recovers valuable cathode materials while discarding or separately processing anode materials and binders. By using flotation to concentrate cathode materials into a purified stream, the process maximizes the recovery value of the cathode materials for direct application in new battery production
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 effectively separates cathode materials from anode and carbon materials, increasing the recovery value and safety by achieving high purity and selectivity, allowing for direct reuse in new battery production without smelting or hydrometallurgical processing.
Implementation Method 1
Aqueous Froth Flotation for Separation of Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials from Anode and Other Carbon Materials
Implementation Method 2
a hydrocarbon collector and a frothing agent; agitating the froth flotation cell medium to float the anode and other carbon materials
Implementation Method 3
a hydrophilic depressant, a hydrocarbon collector, and a frothing agent; agitating the froth flotation cell medium to float the anode and other carbon materials
Data Source
AI summary
A flotation method for separating cathode material from anode and other carbon materials is described. The cathode material may be that including lithium, nickel, and cobalt or that including lithium iron phosphate. The starting material for the flotation process is conventional black mass as recovered from fractured lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion battery production scrap. The fractured lithium-ion batteries may originate from spent batteries including used batteries and/or out of specification new production batteries. A very fine mesh screening preferably is used to remove interfering binder from the black mass powder prior to froth flotation, preferably in combination with a hydrophilic depressant to enhance separation of the cathode material from the anode and other carbon materials present in the black mass. The separated cathode and anode materials recovered from the method may be used directly or augmented with additional lithium to form new LIB cathodes, anodes, and batteries.