Lithium-Ion Cathode Regeneration Using Plasma-Cyclone Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current lithium ion battery recycling methods consume high energy and generate chemical waste due to high temperature pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical processes, and there is a need for efficient sorting, purification, and regeneration of cathode materials from aged batteries to address supply and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a fluidized gas-solid stream exposed to a non-equilibrium plasma followed by gas-phase centrifugal separation to remove impurities and restore desired morphology and crystallinity in lithium ion battery cathode materials, using a cyclone-plasma separator system with a dielectric barrier discharge electrode and controlled plasma exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If high temperature pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical methods are used for recycling lithium ion batteries, then valuable elements such as Li, Ni, and Co can be recycled, but large energy consumption and new chemical waste generation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high temperature (pyrometallurgical) or chemical treatment (hydrometallurgical) to ambient or mild temperature plasma processing. The plasma process operates at lower temperatures while maintaining effective recycling capability, thus reducing energy consumption without sacrificing recycling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces thermal-based pyrometallurgical systems and chemical-based hydrometallurgical systems with a plasma-based system. The plasma process uses ionized gas to achieve material recovery without requiring high temperatures or harsh chemicals, thereby reducing both energy consumption and chemical waste generation
2Loss of substance
If high temperature pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical methods are used for recycling lithium ion batteries, then valuable elements such as Li, Ni, and Co can be recycled, but new chemical waste generation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical-based hydrometallurgical systems with a plasma-based system. The plasma process uses ionized gas species to achieve material recovery without requiring harsh chemicals, thereby eliminating chemical waste generation while maintaining effective recycling of valuable elements
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma process operates in a controlled atmosphere that avoids the use of harsh chemicals. The ionized gas environment provides a clean reaction medium that recycles valuable elements without generating chemical waste, contrasting with the chemical-intensive hydrometallurgical approach
3Manufacturing precision
If plasma treatment is applied to particles of used or damaged lithium ion battery cathode material, then surface impurities are reduced and desired morphology and crystallinity are recovered, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the plasma treatment step with the existing recycling workflow, integrating it as a post-processing step after battery disassembly and material collection. This merging approach adds plasma-based morphology recovery without requiring completely separate complex infrastructure, thus achieving precision improvement with manageable complexity increase
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 approach effectively reduces surface impurities, recovers desired morphology and crystallinity, and enhances the electrochemical performance of recycled lithium ion battery cathode materials, improving recycling efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
exposing the mixture of particles flowing through the plasma region to a non-equilibrium plasma having a predetermined plasma power density for a predetermined plasma exposure time
Implementation Method 2
size-separating the mixture of particles by gas-phase centrifugal separation forces in a vortex motion
Data Source
AI summary
Lithium ion battery cathode material recycling methods and systems are disclosed. The methods can include plasma-assisted separation, which can simultaneously purify the surface of particles of used or damaged cathode material and isolate larger microparticles from smaller nanoparticles, which produces one group having a desired particle morphology and another group lacking the desired particle morphology. These two groups of particles (when present) are further processed using a micro-molten shell process that generates a molten shell of lithium precursors, with optional chemistry enhancing additives, and employs a thermal/plasma treatment to relithiate the particles, restore morphology to particles lacking the desired morphology, and to upgrade the cathode chemistry when additives are included. The relithiation and morphology restoration are primarily employed on used or damaged materials, whereas the chemistry enhancing/upgrading can be employed on new and used materials.