Lithium Cathode Metal Recovery with Selective Aluminum Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of manufacturing lithium secondary battery cathode materials due to the use of expensive valuable metals, combined with the need for efficient and pure recycling of these materials to address environmental protection issues.
Innovation Solution
A method for recovering active metals from lithium secondary battery cathodes involves collecting a cathode active material mixture, performing a reductive reaction to form a preliminary precursor mixture, forming an aqueous lithium precursor solution, and using an aluminum removal resin to remove aluminum-containing materials from the solution, thereby improving the recovery ratio and purity of the lithium precursor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional recycling methods are used to recover lithium from cathode materials, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the recovery purity is insufficient due to aluminum contamination from current collectors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes aluminum-containing materials from the lithium precursor solution using a specifically designed aluminum removal resin. The resin selectively binds aluminum ions while allowing lithium ions to pass through, effectively separating the contaminant from the desired product and achieving high recovery purity.
Solution Approach 2:
The aluminum removal resin acts as an intermediary substance that mediates between the aluminum-containing impurity and the lithium precursor solution. The resin provides functional groups that selectively interact with aluminum ions, enabling their removal without affecting lithium recovery.
2Manufacturing precision
If aluminum removal steps are added to the recycling process to improve purity, then the recovery quality increases, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing a specialized aluminum removal resin with specific functional groups at a particular stage in the recycling process. This localized treatment targets only the aluminum contamination issue without requiring complete process redesign, thereby improving purity while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the recycling process by introducing a resin with specific functional groups (amino groups, hydroxyl groups, or carboxyl groups) that have selective affinity for aluminum ions. This parameter change enables selective aluminum removal while maintaining simplicity in the overall process flow.
3Manufacturing precision
If high-purity lithium recovery is achieved through multiple purification steps, then the product quality improves, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-treating the lithium precursor solution with aluminum removal resin before final lithium recovery steps. This preliminary removal of aluminum contaminants prevents subsequent purification complications and enables faster, more efficient lithium recovery in later stages, reducing overall processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical filtration or multiple chemical precipitation steps with a chemical adsorption process using functionalized resins. This substitution achieves high-purity aluminum removal in a single step, significantly reducing processing time compared to traditional multi-step mechanical or chemical purification methods.
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
The method achieves high-efficiency and high-purity recovery of active metals from lithium secondary battery cathodes, effectively reducing the cost of recycling and minimizing environmental impact by selectively removing aluminum without affecting lithium recovery.
Implementation Method 1
removing an aluminum-containing material from the aqueous lithium precursor solution by using an aluminum removal resin
Implementation Method 2
preparing a preliminary precursor mixture by a reductive reaction of the cathode active material mixture
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for recovering active metals of a lithium secondary battery according to an embodiment, a cathode active material mixture is collected from the cathode of the lithium secondary battery, the cathode active material mixture is reduced by a reducing reaction to prepare a preliminary precursor mixture, an aqueous lithium precursor solution is formed from the preliminary precursor mixture, and an aluminum-containing material is removed from the aqueous lithium precursor solution with an aluminum removing resin.