Black Mass Graphite Recovery Using Ozone-Assisted Flotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for recycling graphite from black mass are inefficient and unable to achieve high purity levels, making them unsuitable for reuse in battery cells.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the addition of water to black mass, followed by the dosing of ozone as an oxidizing agent while stirring at high shear rates, and subsequent flotation to separate graphite, achieving high purity and yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional processing techniques such as flotation are used to extract graphite from black mass, then the process is simple to operate, but the purity and efficiency of graphite recovery are very low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing oxidative treatment on the black mass before flotation. This pre-treatment step modifies the surface properties of graphite particles and other materials in the black mass, making them more amenable to subsequent flotation separation. The oxidation process creates surface characteristics that enhance the effectiveness of flotation reagents, thereby improving graphite recovery purity without requiring complex equipment modifications
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes chemical parameters by introducing oxidizing agents and controlling pH levels during the processing sequence. The oxidation step alters the chemical state of materials in the black mass, and subsequent pH adjustments optimize the flotation process. These parameter changes transform the refractory black mass into a form that responds well to conventional flotation, achieving high purity recovery with standard equipment
2Productivity
If graphite is incinerated instead of recycled, then the process is simple and fast, but COx emissions increase and valuable material is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of oxidative combustion into a beneficial pre-treatment step. Instead of directly incinerating the black mass, controlled oxidation is applied as a deliberate processing step to modify material properties. This transforms what would be a destructive and polluting process into a useful treatment that prepares the material for recovery, eliminating COx emissions while achieving the desired chemical transformation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements recovery instead of discarding graphite through incineration. The multi-step process including oxidation and flotation selectively separates graphite from other black mass components, recovering valuable carbon material for reuse. This replaces the wasteful incineration approach with a circular economy solution that maintains material value and eliminates harmful emissions
3Device complexity
If graphite is recovered from black mass with low graphite content (15-20%), then the process can be simpler, but the yield and economic viability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs strong oxidants to accelerate and intensify the oxidation process, ensuring thorough treatment even of black mass with low graphite content. This aggressive oxidation approach completely transforms the chemical properties of all materials present, creating distinct surface characteristics that enable effective separation. The intensified oxidation ensures that even trace amounts of graphite can be recovered with high purity, making the process economically viable for low-grade black mass
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 proposed process achieves graphite concentrations of over 90% with a yield of more than 70%, allowing for the selective recovery of graphite from black mass, which can be reused economically and avoid combustion.
Implementation Method 1
Dosing ozone as an oxidizing agent into the suspension
Implementation Method 2
stirring the suspension of black mass with water, preferably at a shear rate greater than 11000s-1
Implementation Method 3
enabling the separation of graphite from the black mass by flotation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for recovering graphite from black mass, comprising the following steps in the following order: - providing a black mass containing graphite; - adding water to the black mass and preparing a suspension of the black mass in water; - dosing ozone as an oxidizing agent to the suspension and simultaneously stirring the suspension of black mass with water; - flotation of the suspension and skimming off the graphite. The invention further relates to a corresponding apparatus.