Lithium Battery Cathode Recycling via Acid Leaching and Selective Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recycling technologies for lithium batteries are inefficient, costly, and environmentally harmful due to the presence of toxic substances like heavy metals and electrolytes, leading to soil and air pollution, while also failing to effectively recover valuable metals.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for recycling lithium battery cathode materials involving pretreatment, acid leaching, and extraction processes using specific agents like diisooctyl phosphate, sulfuric acid, and alkali solutions to separate and recover metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, while minimizing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing recycling technologies are used, then lithium batteries can be processed, but the treatment process is complicated and recycling efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The recycling process is divided into distinct functional modules: pretreatment device, acid leaching device, solid-liquid filtration device, and extraction devices. Each module performs a specific function, allowing for optimized processing of different battery types independently while maintaining overall system efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is designed to handle multiple types of lithium batteries (lithium iron phosphate batteries and ternary lithium batteries) using the same core processing line. The universal acid leaching and filtration system processes both types, with optional extraction stages for specific metal recovery, reducing the need for separate dedicated processing lines.
2Productivity
If existing recycling technologies are used, then batteries can be processed, but recycling costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The system selectively recovers valuable metals (lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese) from the battery cathode materials through acid leaching and extraction processes, while the solid residue containing less valuable components is discarded. This selective recovery approach maximizes economic value while minimizing processing costs for non-valuable materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction process uses adjustable parameters such as acid concentration, temperature, and extraction agent selection to optimize metal recovery efficiency. By tuning these parameters based on the specific battery type and metal content, the system achieves high recovery rates with controlled reagent consumption, reducing overall processing costs.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If heavy metals and toxic substances are not treated, then processing is simpler, but environmental pollution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The acid leaching device extracts valuable metals and toxic substances from the battery materials into solution, separating them from the solid residue. The subsequent solid-liquid filtration physically separates the liquid containing dissolved metals and toxins from the solid waste. This extraction and separation approach effectively removes harmful substances while recovering valuable materials in a systematic manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The acid leaching process that could potentially create harmful waste actually converts toxic heavy metals into recoverable chemical forms. The extraction agents selectively bind to valuable metals, transforming environmental hazards into economically valuable products that can be purified and reused, thereby converting a harmful process into a beneficial one.
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 efficiently recovers valuable metals from lithium batteries, reducing environmental pollution and lowering recycling costs by integrating pretreatment, pyrolysis, and chemical extraction methods, enabling direct reuse of recovered materials in new batteries.
Implementation Method 1
a pyrolysis furnace, and the gas outlet of the pyrolysis furnace is connected to an inlut of a gas-solid filtration device
Implementation Method 2
a device of acid leaching, configured to obtain leachate
Implementation Method 3
a first extraction device for performing extraction on the leachate, wherein diisooctyl phosphate is extraction agent
Implementation Method 4
a heating furnace for heating the solid products, obtained after acid leaching and solid-liquid filtration, in an oxygen-containing atmosphere
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an apparatus for separating and recycling metal elements in cathode materials of lithium batteries, comprising a device for pretreating lithium batteries, configured to obtain a mixture of powders containing positive-electrode materials; a device of acid leaching, configured to obtain leachate; if the to-be-recycled lithium battery contain a lithium iron phosphate battery, the apparatus further comprises a heating furnace for heating the solid products, obtained after acid leaching and solid-liquid filtration, in an oxygen-containing atmosphere; if the to-be-recycled lithium battery contains a ternary lithium battery, the apparatus further comprises a first extraction device for performing extraction on the leachate, wherein diisooctyl phosphate is extraction agent.