Positive Electrode Dissolution With Selective Manganese Precipitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for recycling lithium-ion batteries face challenges in efficiently and economically recovering manganese, cobalt, and nickel due to their similar chemistry, leading to high costs and environmental impacts, particularly with the use of hypochlorite and ion-exchange resins.
Innovation Solution
A hydrometallurgical method involving immersion of the positive electrode material in an acid solution with manganese ions or hydrogen peroxide, allowing lithium and cobalt to dissolve while manganese selectively precipitates as oxyhydroxide, facilitating complete dissolution and separation in a single step.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional leaching uses highly concentrated acids to completely dissolve electrode materials, then extraction efficiency of metal ions is improved, but the complexity of selective separation of manganese, cobalt and nickel increases due to their similar chemistry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adding manganese ions before the leaching process. These pre-added manganese ions act as a catalyst during dissolution, enabling the complete breakdown of the electrode material structure and making all metal ions (lithium, cobalt, nickel, and electrode manganese) equally available in the solution, thereby simplifying subsequent selective separation operations
2Quantity of substance
If hypochlorite is used for precipitation in conventional processes, then cobalt recovery is improved, but environmental impact and operational safety worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the previously harmful effect of using strong oxidants like hypochlorite into a beneficial process by utilizing the controlled oxidation capability of pre-added manganese ions. These ions naturally facilitate the precipitation of cobalt as cobalt oxyhydroxide under controlled pH conditions (pH 8-10), achieving high cobalt recovery without the environmental and safety hazards associated with hypochlorite
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive and hazardous reagents like hypochlorite with a simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly alternative: pre-added manganese ions that can be easily managed and disposed of. The manganese ions serve their catalytic function and then can be easily separated, eliminating the need for complex waste treatment required by hypochlorite
3Quantity of substance
If ion-exchange resins are used for metal separation, then selective recovery of metals is improved, but operational complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical and chemical system of ion-exchange resins with a simpler chemical precipitation process. By controlling pH to 8-10, cobalt selectively precipitates as cobalt oxyhydroxide, which can be easily separated by filtration. This substitution eliminates the need for resin columns, regeneration processes, and complex operational procedures while maintaining high selective recovery efficiency
4Quantity of substance
If thermal methods are used to separate metals at high temperature, then cobalt, nickel and copper separation is improved, but energy consumption increases and manganese and lithium recovery is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the operating parameters from high-temperature thermal processing to ambient or moderate temperature chemical processing. By adjusting pH parameters and utilizing chemical precipitation reactions, the method achieves effective separation of cobalt, nickel, and copper without the energy-intensive heating required by thermal methods, while simultaneously enabling recovery of manganese and lithium that would otherwise be lost
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 achieves high recovery yields for lithium, cobalt, and nickel while effectively separating manganese, reducing environmental impact and operational complexity compared to existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
the lithium and possibly the cobalt and/or the nickel are put in solution
Implementation Method 2
the manganese ions are selectively precipitated in the form of manganese oxyhydroxide
Implementation Method 3
the acid solution further containing either manganese ions or hydrogen peroxide
Data Source
AI summary
A method for dissolving a positive electrode material of a battery including a step during which the positive electrode material, comprising lithium and optionally cobalt and/or nickel, is submerged in an acid solution having a pH between 0 and 4, the acid solution containing either manganese ions or hydrogen peroxide, by means of which the lithium and optionally the cobalt and/or nickel is dissolved, and the manganese ions are selectively precipitated in the form of manganese oxyhydroxide.