Battery Black Mass Processing for Pure Lithium and Ni/Co Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for recovering valuable metals from spent lithium ion batteries face challenges due to high levels of impurities like fluorine and phosphorous, requiring complex processes and energy-consuming steps, and struggle to achieve high purity of metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt while minimizing noble metal impurities.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of an alkaline earth hydroxide and a polar solvent to treat a particulate material from lithium ion batteries, followed by solid-liquid and optional solid-solid separations, to selectively recover lithium salts and transition metals like nickel and cobalt, while minimizing impurities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If direct hydrometallurgical processing is used to recover metals from battery scrap, then transition metals can be obtained as aqueous solutions or precipitates, but the process requires complex steps and high energy consumption to remove impurities like fluorine and phosphorous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a heat treatment or pyrolysis step before the main hydrometallurgical processing. This pre-treatment removes organic components and converts the black mass into a form that is more amenable to subsequent metal recovery steps, thereby simplifying the overall process and reducing the number of complex steps needed to achieve high purity metals
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting the pH value during the hydrometallurgical processing steps. By controlling pH conditions, the process selectively precipitates or dissolves specific metal compounds, enabling effective separation of lithium from transition metals and removal of impurities like fluorine and phosphorous without requiring overly complex processing sequences
2Stability of the object's composition
If heat treatment at elevated temperatures is applied to black mass, then organic components are decomposed and metals are reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of high energy consumption into a benefit by using the heat treatment step to simultaneously achieve multiple objectives: decomposition of organic components, reduction of metal oxides to metallic forms, and concentration of valuable metals in the black mass. This multi-functional approach maximizes the utility of the energy input while achieving stable compositional changes that facilitate subsequent metal recovery
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple separation steps are performed to remove impurities, then purity of lithium and transition metals is improved, but process time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by performing targeted separation steps that address specific impurity removal needs at different stages of the process. Rather than applying uniform treatment throughout, the method uses pH-controlled precipitation to selectively separate lithium from transition metals, and subsequent selective dissolution to remove specific impurities like fluorine and phosphorous, thereby achieving high purity products with minimized process time
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 process effectively separates and recovers lithium hydroxide and transition metals in high purity, reducing the presence of impurities and energy consumption, and allows for the recovery of valuable metals suitable for new battery production.
Implementation Method 1
treating the material provided in step (a) with an alkaline earth hydroxide and a polar solvent
Implementation Method 2
separating the solids containing the one or more transition metals from the liquid
Data Source
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AI summary
A process for the recovery of one or more transition metals and lithium from waste lithium ion batteries or parts thereof is disclosed. The process comprising the steps of (a) providing a particulate material containing a transition metal compound and/or transition metal, wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni and Co, and wherein further at least a fraction of said Ni and/or Co, if present, are in an oxidation state lower than +2, e.g. in the metallic state; which particulate material further contains a lithium salt; (b) treating the material provided in step (a) with a polar solvent and optionally an alkaline earth hydroxide; (c) separating the solids from the liquid, optionally followed by a solid-solid separation step; and (d) treating the solids containing the transition metal in a way to dissolve at least part of the Ni and/or Co, typically using a mineral acid, provides good separation of lithium in high purity and of transition metal useful for the production of battery cathode active materials.