Inductively Heated Packed Bed Reactor for Lithium Recovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods are inadequate for efficiently recovering lithium and phosphorus from lithium-ion battery residues in a versatile manner, regardless of the chemical structure or composition of the raw material, as they often result in impurities and reduced yield.
Innovation Solution
An inductively heated, packed bed reactor system with a refractory reactor body and varying susceptor material particle sizes is used to transfer lithium and phosphorus compounds into a gaseous phase, allowing for separation and recovery, while minimizing thermal and chemical stress on the reactor materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional thermal treatment methods are used to recover lithium and phosphorus from lithium-ion battery residues, then the recovery process can be performed, but the recovery yield is reduced and impurities remain in the recovered materials
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes phase transitions by vaporizing lithium and phosphorus compounds at high temperatures (1000-2000°C) to transfer them into the gas phase, then condensing them in a condenser to obtain purified recovered materials. This phase transition approach enables simultaneous high purity and high recovery yield by separating the target materials from impurities through vaporization and selective condensation.
2Productivity
If high temperatures are applied to vaporize lithium and phosphorus compounds, then recovery efficiency improves, but thermal stress on the reactor materials increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a susceptor material as an intermediary substance that absorbs electromagnetic radiation and converts it to heat, indirectly heating the lithium-ion battery residues. This mediator approach enables high-temperature treatment (1000-2000°C) required for efficient vaporization while protecting the reactor structure from direct thermal exposure, thus maintaining high recovery efficiency without excessive thermal stress on reactor materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces conventional direct thermal heating with electromagnetic induction heating using a susceptor material. This substitution allows precise control of heating zones and temperatures, enabling efficient vaporization of lithium and phosphorus compounds at 1000-2000°C while minimizing unwanted thermal stress on reactor materials through localized and controlled energy input.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the reactor body is made of refractory material to withstand high temperatures, then thermal stability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The susceptor material serves as a thermal intermediary that absorbs electromagnetic energy and transfers heat to the processing materials. This mediator function allows the use of refractory materials for the reactor body to withstand high temperatures (1000-2000°C) while the actual heating occurs through electromagnetic induction in the susceptor, reducing direct thermal exposure and simplifying the overall thermal management complexity of the reactor construction.
4Stability of the object's composition
If varying particle sizes of susceptor material are used to optimize heat distribution, then thermal treatment uniformity improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by using susceptor material particles with varying sizes (0.1-10 mm) distributed throughout the reactor bed. Different particle sizes create varied heat absorption and distribution characteristics in different regions, improving thermal treatment uniformity across the entire charge material volume. This natural size distribution approach achieves uniform heating without requiring complex external heating zones or adjustable mechanisms, thus improving thermal uniformity while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
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 enables the high-purity recovery of lithium and phosphorus, along with other metals, by effectively separating gaseous and molten phases, reducing impurities, and optimizing thermal treatment conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an induction coil (114) surrounding the reactor body (112) and configured for inductively heating the susceptor material (116)
Implementation Method 2
the reactor body (112) being surrounded by at least one induction coil (114), the induction coil (114) being configured for inductively heating the susceptor material (116)
Implementation Method 3
the reactor body (112) being at least partially filled with a susceptor material (116), the induction coil (114) being configured for inductively heating the susceptor material (116)
Implementation Method 4
thermally treating the raw material in the inductively heated packed bed reactor, such that at least part of the raw material including lithium compounds and/or phosphorus compounds is transferred into a gaseous phase
Implementation Method 5
a condenser (150) in fluidic connection with the one or more gas outlets (118) and configured for depositing lithium species from a gaseous phase discharged from the packed bed reactor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus (100) for thermal treatment of a raw material containing lithium compounds and phosphorus compounds, a process for thermal treatment of a raw material containing lithium compounds and phosphorus compounds and a method of recovering lithium and/or phosphorus from residue material of lithium-ion batteries. The apparatus (100) for thermal treatment of a raw material containing lithium compounds and phosphorus compounds comprises an inductively heated, packed bed reactor (110) comprising a reactor body (112) at least partially made of refractory material, the reactor body (112) being surrounded by at least one induction coil (114), the reactor body (112) being at least partially filled/packed with a susceptor material (116), the inductively heated packed bed reactor (110) being configured for transferring at least part of the raw material including lithium compounds and/or phosphorus compounds into a gaseous phase and configured for forming a molten phase from another part of the raw material, the inductively heated packed bed reactor (110) comprising one or more gas outlets (118) and a molten phase outlet (119), and a condenser (150) in fluidic connection with the one or more gas outlets (118) and configured for depositing lithium species from a gaseous phase discharged from the packed bed reactor (110) via the one or more gas outlets (118) and configured for separating the deposited lithium species from an exhaust gas substantially free from lithium species.