Flow Electrode Lithium Recovery for Low-Chemical Battery Recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for recovering lithium from waste batteries, such as pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes, require high temperatures and large amounts of chemicals, leading to high energy consumption and environmental pollution.
Innovation Solution
An electrochemical lithium recovery system utilizing a first flow electrode module to selectively extract lithium ions through electrical attraction and a second flow electrode module to recover them using electric repulsive force, without high temperature treatment or excessive chemicals, employing ion exchange membranes and manganese oxide for enhanced absorption efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical processes are used to recover lithium from waste batteries, then lithium recovery is achieved, but high energy consumption and environmental pollution occur due to high temperature and strong acid requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal fields (high-temperature heating) and chemical fields (strong acid leaching) with an electrochemical field. The electrochemical lithium recovery system uses electric current to drive ion exchange membranes that selectively transport lithium ions from waste battery solutions, eliminating the need for high-temperature pyrometallurgical processes and strong acid hydrometallurgical treatments, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution.
2Reliability
If pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical processes are used to recover lithium from waste batteries, then lithium recovery is achieved, but environmental pollution occurs due to chemical usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical fields (strong acid leaching) with an electrochemical field. The system uses ion exchange membranes and electric current to selectively extract lithium ions from waste battery solutions without requiring strong acids or other harmful chemicals, thereby eliminating the environmental pollution associated with conventional hydrometallurgical processes while maintaining high lithium recovery efficiency.
3Productivity
If high temperature treatment is used to leach recoverable ions from waste battery, then lithium extraction is effective, but post-treatment processes are required and environmental pollution increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal fields (high-temperature treatment) with an electrochemical field. The electrochemical system uses ion exchange membranes that selectively transport lithium ions at ambient or moderate temperatures, eliminating the need for high-temperature equipment and subsequent complex post-treatment processes such as neutralization and waste chemical disposal, thereby simplifying the overall process while maintaining effective lithium extraction.
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 system achieves high lithium recovery efficiency with reduced energy consumption and chemical usage, enabling continuous operation and reuse of sulfuric acid ions, thus minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a first flow electrode module selectively extracting lithium ions from an object solution containing a waste battery active material by electrical attraction
Implementation Method 2
a second flow electrode module recovering the lithium ions extracted by the first flow electrode module, by an electric repulsive force
Implementation Method 3
a first front end ion exchange membrane dividing the first cathode channel and the first flow channel from each other, and allowing selectively penetration of 1 valent ions
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosure relates to an electrochemical lithium recovery system, and the electrochemical lithium recovery system is characterized by having a first flow electrode module that selectively extracts lithium ions from an object solution containing a waste battery active material by electrical attraction, and a second flow electrode module recovering the lithium ions extracted by the first flow electrode module, by the electric repulsive force. Accordingly, the electrochemical lithium recovery system does not require a high temperature treatment process, does not require a large amount of chemicals, and can ensure high recovery efficiency.