Vanadium Electrolyte Purification from Ore to Cut Battery Cost
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The high manufacturing cost of vanadium electrolytes for vanadium batteries is a significant challenge due to complex and expensive processes involved in preparing high-purity vanadium pentoxide, which accounts for a substantial portion of the battery's cost.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of sulfuric acid to process vanadium-containing ore, including steps like mixing, curing, leaching, impurity removal, and extraction to produce a vanadium electrolyte, which reduces costs and energy consumption while minimizing pollution and waste generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high-purity vanadium pentoxide is prepared using ammonium metavanadate or vanadium pentoxide crude product through complex metallurgical processes, then the purity of vanadium electrolyte is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes impurity elements (such as Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ti, Mo, Co, Zn, Ag, Au, Pt, Pd) from the vanadium-containing leaching solution through selective precipitation and filtration processes. This extraction approach achieves high purity vanadium electrolyte (removing impurities to below detectable limits) while avoiding the need for expensive ammonium metavanadate or complex metallurgical processes, thereby resolving the contradiction between purity and manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting pH values (e.g., pH 1.5-2.5 for first impurity removal, pH 2.0-3.0 for second impurity removal), temperatures (e.g., 80-90°C for curing, room temperature for leaching), and concentrations of reagents (e.g., sulfuric acid concentration, impurity-removing agent dosage) to selectively precipitate different impurities at different stages. This systematic parameter control enables high-purity vanadium electrolyte production through a simplified, cost-effective process.
2Reliability
If conventional dissolution or electrolysis processes are used to prepare vanadium electrolyte from high-purity vanadium pentoxide, then the electrolyte quality is ensured, but the process complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-purifying the vanadium-containing leaching solution through two-stage impurity removal processes before electrolysis. The first impurity-removing step removes major impurities (Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Mn) and the second step removes trace impurities (Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ti, Mo, Co, Ag, Au, Pt, Pd). This preliminary purification ensures high electrolyte quality while simplifying the overall process by eliminating the need for multiple dissolution and re-purification cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing impurity-removing agents (such as sodium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, or carbon dioxide) that selectively react with impurity ions to form precipitates. These intermediaries facilitate the separation of impurities from vanadium ions without affecting the vanadium electrolyte quality, thereby simplifying the purification process while ensuring reliable electrolyte production.
3Productivity
If vanadium-containing ore is processed through complex metallurgical processes to obtain ammonium metavanadate or vanadium pentoxide solution, then the vanadium extraction efficiency is improved, but the wastewater treatment cost and environmental pollution increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of impurity-containing leaching solution into a benefit by systematically removing impurities through controlled precipitation. The impurity-removing process transforms the problematic wastewater containing heavy metals and other contaminants into separable solid precipitates that can be easily filtered and disposed of or recycled, while the purified solution becomes high-quality vanadium electrolyte. This approach eliminates the need for complex wastewater treatment while maintaining high vanadium extraction efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies discarding and recovering by separating and removing impurity elements (discarding Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ti, Mo, Co, Ag, Au, Pt, Pd) from the vanadium-containing solution through selective precipitation and filtration. The recovered purified vanadium solution is then used as high-quality electrolyte, while the impurity precipitates can be further processed or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner, minimizing wastewater treatment costs and pollution.
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 significantly lowers the manufacture cost of vanadium electrolytes, improves their purity, reduces impurity content, and allows for their use in various environments with minimal wastewater treatment, achieving zero emission and reduced treatment costs.
Implementation Method 1
adding sulfuric acid into vanadium-containing ore, and stirring to obtain a mixture; curing the mixture to obtain a clinker; leaching the clinker with water to obtain a vanadium-containing leaching solution
Implementation Method 2
adding an oxidizing agent, a ferric phosphate dihydrate seed crystal and a second impurity-removing agent into the first purified solution to obtain a second purified solution
Implementation Method 3
adding a reducing agent and a flocculating agent into the second purified solution, and filtering a resultant solution to obtain a filtered solution
Implementation Method 4
adding a reducing agent and a flocculating agent into the second purified solution, and filtering a resultant solution to obtain a filtered solution
Implementation Method 5
mixing the filtered solution with an extraction liquid to obtain a vanadium-supported organic phase
Implementation Method 6
stripping the vanadium-supported organic phase to obtain a stripping liquid
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a vanadium electrolyte, a preparation method and use thereof. The method includes: adding sulfuric acid into vanadium-containing ore, and stirring to obtain a mixture; curing the mixture to obtain a clinker; leaching the clinker with water to obtain a vanadium-containing leaching solution; adding a first impurity-removing agent into the vanadium-containing leaching solution to obtain a first purified solution; adding an oxidizing agent, a ferric phosphate dihydrate seed crystal and a second impurity-removing agent into the first purified solution to obtain a second purified solution; adding a reducing agent and a flocculating agent into the second purified solution, and filtering a resultant solution to obtain a filtered solution; mixing the filtered solution with an extraction liquid to obtain a vanadium-supported organic phase; stripping the vanadium-supported organic phase to obtain a stripping liquid; and removing an organic phase from the stripping liquid to obtain the vanadium electrolyte.