Spent Lithium-Ion Battery Treatment With Organic Acid Leaching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating spent lithium-ion batteries result in pollution and inefficient resource recovery due to high energy consumption, strict reaction conditions, and high acid consumption, limiting their industrial application.
Innovation Solution
A process involving discharging, crushing, screening, mechanochemical activation, and acid leaching with organic acids to recover metals, followed by purification and transformation to produce ternary precursors of lithium-ion batteries, utilizing aluminum foils as reductants for in-situ leaching and self-purification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pyrometallurgy is used to recover waste lithium-ion batteries, then recovery speed and efficiency are improved, but energy consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the leaching process by using organic acids with specific molecular structures and properties instead of traditional strong mineral acids. This parameter change allows for effective metal recovery at lower temperatures and energy consumption while maintaining high recovery efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the high-temperature thermal processing system of pyrometallurgy with a mechanochemical activation system followed by low-temperature leaching. The mechanochemical activation mechanically activates the battery materials at room temperature, substituting the need for high-energy thermal processes
2Object-affected harmful factors
If bio metallurgy is used to recycle non-ferrous metals, then environmental friendliness is improved, but reaction time increases and metal recovery rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary mechanochemical activation to the battery materials before leaching. This preliminary mechanical activation creates defects and increases surface area, making the subsequent organic acid leaching much more efficient and faster, thereby improving metal recovery rate while maintaining environmental friendliness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses specially designed organic acids as intermediary substances that bridge the gap between environmental friendliness and extraction efficiency. These organic acids have molecular structures that enable them to effectively chelate and extract metals under mild conditions, achieving both low environmental impact and high recovery rates
3Productivity
If hydrometallurgy is used for battery treatment, then metal recovery is achieved, but acid consumption increases and secondary waste liquid is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the leaching agent from strong mineral acids to biodegradable organic acids. This parameter change reduces acid consumption and eliminates the generation of harmful secondary waste liquids, while still achieving effective metal recovery through the chelating properties of organic acids
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs recoverable and biodegradable organic acids that can be regenerated or naturally decomposed. The process design allows for the recovery and potential reuse of the organic acid leaching agents, reducing overall consumption and environmental impact compared to traditional hydrometallurgical acids
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
Effectively recovers recyclable resources while reducing heavy metal pollution, achieving high metal recovery rates and minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
putting said aluminum foil products into said organic acid leaching solution to conduct purification and transformation, to obtain a mixture of flocculated pure copper mud products and purified leaching solution through displacement reaction
Implementation Method 2
mechanochemically activating said underflow to obtain activated products
Implementation Method 3
acid leaching said activated products by degradable organic acid to obtain a mixture containing the activated products and the organic acid leaching solution
Implementation Method 4
adopting hydrothermal reaction for said Ni0.85Co0.1Al0.05(OH)2 to conduct secondary crystallization and precipitation, then, obtaining ternary precursor of lithium-ion batteries
Implementation Method 5
adding NaOH and buffer solution into said primary intermediate products, controlling pH value between 12±0.1, precipitating after full stirring, then, obtaining a lithium-rich solution as filtrate, and Ni0.85Co0.1Al0.05(OH)2 as filter residues after solid-liquid separation
Data Source
AI summary
This invention discloses a process and its products for spent lithium-ion batteries treatment, which relates to the field of spent battery treatment technology. This process comprises: fully discharging spent lithium-ion batteries to obtain discharged spent lithium-ion batteries; crushing spent lithium-ion batteries to obtain crushed products of spent lithium-ion batteries; screening crushed products of spent lithium-ion batteries by screens to obtain an overflow and an underflow; sorting the overflow to obtain separator products, plastic products, iron products, copper foil products and aluminum foil products; mechanochemically activating the underflow to obtain activated products; acid leaching the activated products by degradable organic acid to obtain a mixture containing activated products and the organic acid leaching solution; filtering the mixture which contains the activated products and the organic acid leaching solution to obtain graphite as filter residues. Copper mud products and LiNi0.85Co0.1Al0.05O2 can be obtained after further treatments. This process can effectively recover recyclable resources in spent lithium-ion batteries, and reduce pollution of heavy metals.