Solid-State Battery Electrolyte Separation Without Incineration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for recovering valuable metals from solid-state batteries, particularly those with solid sulfide electrolytes, face environmental burdens due to burning processes, which emit carbon dioxide and sulfur oxides, and struggle with recovering phosphorus due to its chemically stable forms, lacking effective techniques for lithium, sulfur, and phosphorus separation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mixing the battery member with a solvent to dissolve the solid electrolyte, followed by solid-liquid separation to recover lithium, sulfur, and phosphorus elements, and subsequent acid-dissolving of the solid component to recover additional metals, thereby avoiding incineration and reducing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If burning is used to remove liquid electrolyte from batteries, then the electrolyte is effectively removed, but carbon dioxide and sulfur oxides are emitted causing environmental burden
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the treatment process by using aqueous alkali solutions instead of combustion. The alkali solution chemically reacts with and dissolves the electrolyte components, achieving effective removal through dissolution and chemical reaction rather than thermal decomposition, thereby eliminating harmful emissions while maintaining removal effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal/mechanical combustion process with a chemical dissolution process using aqueous alkali solutions. This substitution changes the fundamental mechanism from high-temperature burning to controlled chemical reaction, achieving the same goal of electrolyte removal without the harmful byproducts of combustion
2Device complexity
If burning is applied to sulfide-based solid-state batteries, then the structure is simplified, but sulfur oxide is emitted in addition to carbon dioxide
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful sulfur oxide that would be produced by burning into a beneficial dissolved state through chemical reaction with aqueous alkali. The sulfur-containing electrolyte components react with the alkali solution to form soluble sulfides or sulfonates, transforming the potential harmful emission into a controllable dissolved component that can be easily separated and managed
3Loss of substance
If burning is used to process solid-state batteries, then organic material is removed, but phosphorus forms chemically stable phosphates that are difficult to recover
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical environment from oxidative combustion to alkaline dissolution, which fundamentally alters the fate of phosphorus. Instead of forming stable, insoluble phosphates through combustion, the phosphorus-containing electrolyte components dissolve in the aqueous alkali solution, forming soluble phosphates or phosphonates that remain in the liquid phase and can be easily recovered through filtration and concentration processes
4Quantity of substance
If leaching and neutralization are used to recover lithium from roasted battery material, then lithium recovery is achieved, but multiple processing steps are required increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by directly treating the intact or minimally processed battery components with aqueous alkali solutions, dissolving the electrolyte and releasing lithium ions into solution before any roasting or complex processing. This preliminary dissolution step eliminates the need for subsequent roasting, leaching, and neutralization steps, achieving lithium recovery through a single integrated process
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple separate processing steps (roasting, leaching, neutralization) into a single integrated alkaline dissolution process. The aqueous alkali solution simultaneously performs the functions of breaking down the electrolyte, releasing lithium, and maintaining appropriate pH conditions, consolidating what would otherwise require three distinct operational steps into one continuous process
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 efficiently separates and recovers valuable metals and phosphorus from solid-state batteries with minimal environmental burden, enabling effective resource reuse and reducing carbon and sulfur emissions.
Implementation Method 1
the solid electrolyte is dissolved in the solvent as a result of the member being mixed with the solvent
Data Source
AI summary
A separation method includes the steps of: mixing a member that includes an active material and a solid electrolyte with a solvent to obtain a mixture; and subjecting the mixture to solid-liquid separation to obtain a solid component and a separated liquid. The solid electrolyte contains a lithium (Li) element, a sulfur (S) element, and a phosphorous (P) element. The solid electrolyte is dissolved in the solvent. It is preferable that the separation method further includes a step of recovering a compound that contains at least one of the Li element, the S element, and the P element from the separated liquid. It is also preferable that the separation method further includes a step of acid-dissolving the solid component to recover a carbon component.