Recovery method of valuable metal in positive electrode sheet of lithium battery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing hydrometallurgy recovery process for lithium batteries is complex, energy-intensive, and generates significant waste, particularly organic wastewater, making it inefficient and costly for recycling valuable metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
Innovation Solution
A simplified method involving reductive calcination of the positive electrode sheet with a reducing metal, followed by magnetic separation, acid leaching, and crystallization to obtain high-purity metal salts, thereby omitting extraction and subsidiary steps and reducing the overall process complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional hydrometallurgy recovery process is used, then valuable metals can be recovered, but the process becomes complicated and requires many subsidiary steps including extraction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex extraction process from the traditional hydrometallurgy flow. By using reductive calcination to convert metals to elemental form followed by magnetic separation, the invention takes out the need for solvent extraction and back-extraction steps, simplifying the overall process while maintaining effective metal recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the recovery process into distinct functional stages: reductive calcination for metal conversion, magnetic separation for physical division, and selective leaching for final metal recovery. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently and eliminates the need for complex intermediary extraction steps
2Reliability
If traditional hydrometallurgy process with extraction is used, then metal recovery is achieved, but occupied area and investment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the extraction unit operations from the process flow, which are typically space-intensive equipment requiring large plant areas. The replacement magnetic separation and simplified leaching processes require significantly less equipment and occupied area while achieving the same metal recovery objective
3Reliability
If traditional hydrometallurgy process is used, then metal recovery is achieved, but treatment of organic wastewater becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful organic wastewater generation into a benefit by eliminating the organic extraction solvents entirely. The reductive calcination approach uses inorganic chemistry pathways that produce no organic waste, transforming the original harmful process into an environmentally benign one while maintaining effective metal recovery
4Reliability
If pyrometallurgy process is used, then metal recovery is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal parameters from the high-temperature melting required in pyrometallurgy to moderate-temperature reductive calcination. By controlling the calcination temperature and atmosphere to achieve selective reduction without full melting, the process significantly reduces energy consumption while maintaining effective metal recovery
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
This method significantly shortens the recycling process, improves efficiency, and achieves high recovery rates of lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese with reduced environmental impact and lower production costs, making it suitable for industrial production.
Implementation Method 1
under the calcinating condition, a transition metal compound in the material of the positive electrode sheet is reduced by the reducing metal to an elementary substance of the metal
Implementation Method 2
through magnetic separation, the material obtained in step S1 can be divided into two parts. One part is a magnetic component, which may include at least one of elementary substances of nickel and cobalt, and the other part is a non-magnetic component, which may contain elementary substance of manganese and other impurities
Implementation Method 3
dissolving the magnetic component in an acid, concentrating an obtained leachate, and performing crystallization to obtain a metal salt A
Implementation Method 4
concentrating an obtained leachate, and performing crystallization to obtain a metal salt A
Data Source
AI summary
A method for recycling valuable metal in a lithium battery positive plate is provided, comprising the following steps: S1, mixing a positive plate material with reducing metal, and then roasting, the roasting being carried out in a protective atmosphere; S2, performing magnetic separation on the material obtained in step S1 to obtain a magnetic component and a non-magnetic component; S3, performing acid dissolution on the magnetic component, concentrating the obtained leaching solution, and then performing cooling crystallization to obtain a metal salt A; and S4, performing water soaking on the non-magnetic component to obtain sediment and water soaking liquid, adding carbonate into the water soaking liquid to obtain lithium carbonate, performing acid dissolution on the sediment, purifying, and performing evaporative crystallization to obtain a dissolved solution to obtain a metal salt B.