# US 10,865,462 B2 · Processing method for lithium ion battery scrap > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,462 B2 - Document ID: US10865462B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/085,242 - Filed: 2017-03-15 - Published: 2019-04-11 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-16 - Assignees: JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation - Applicants: Jx Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation - Inventors: Junichi Ito; Junichi Arakawa; Takuya Yokota; Naoki Higuchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865462B2 ## CPC - C22B 26/12: Obtaining lithium - B09B 3/70: Chemical treatment, e.g. pH adjustment or oxidation (involving an extraction step B09B3/80) - B09B 3/80: involving an extraction step - C22B 1/005: {Preliminary treatment of scrap (C22B1/02 - C22B1/26 take precedence)} - C22B 3/08: Sulfuric acid {, other sulfurated acids or salts thereof} - C22B 3/22: by physical processes, e.g. by filtration, by magnetic means {, or by thermal decomposition} (treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26) - C22B 3/26: by liquid-liquid extraction using organic compounds - C22B 3/30: Oximes - C22B 3/38: containing phosphorus - C22B 3/3846: {Phosphoric acid, e.g. (O)P(OH)3} - C22B 3/44: by chemical processes (treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26, by ion-exchange extraction C22B3/42) - C22B 7/00: Working up raw materials other than ores, e.g. scrap, to produce non-ferrous metals and compounds thereof; {Methods of a general interest or applied to the winning of more than two metals (briquetting of scrap C22B1/248; preliminary treatment of scrap C22B1/005)} - C22B 7/007: {by acid leaching} - C22B 15/00: Obtaining copper - C22B 15/0067: {with acids or salts thereof} - C22B 23/00: Obtaining nickel or cobalt - C22B 23/0407: {Leaching processes} - C22B 23/0476: {Separation of nickel from cobalt} - H01M 10/54: Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators - Y02P 10/20: Recycling - Y02W 30/84: Recycling of batteries or fuel cells - C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS - B09B: DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract A method for processing lithium ion battery scrap includes a leaching step of leaching lithium ion battery scrap and subjecting the resulting leached solution to solid-liquid separation to obtain a first separated solution; an iron removal step of adding an oxidizing agent to the first separated solution and adjusting a pH of the first separated solution in a range of from 3.0 to 4.0, then performing solid-liquid separation and removing iron in the first separated solution to obtain a second separated solution; and an aluminum removal step of neutralizing the second separated solution to a pH range of from 4.0 to 6.0, then performing solid-liquid separation and removing aluminum in the second separated solution to obtain a third separated solution. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing lithium ion battery scrap, the method comprising: a leaching step of leaching lithium ion battery scrap and subjecting the resulting leached solution to solid-liquid separation to obtain a first separated solution; an iron removal step of adding an oxidizing agent to the first separated solution and adjusting a pH of the first separated solution in a range of from 3.0 to 4.0, then performing solid-liquid separation and removing iron in the first separated solution to obtain a second separated solution; and an aluminum removal step of neutralizing the second separated solution to a pH range of from 4.0 to 6.0, then performing solid-liquid separation and removing aluminum in the second separated solution to obtain a third separated solution. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for processing the lithium ion battery scrap according to claim 1, wherein the lithium ion battery scrap contains copper; and wherein the leaching step comprises leaving copper contained in the lithium ion battery scrap as a solid and removing the copper by the solid-liquid separation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method for processing the lithium ion battery scrap according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent added to the first separated solution in the iron removal step comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of manganese dioxide, positive electrode active materials, and manganese-containing leached residues obtained by leaching the positive electrode active materials. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method for processing the lithium ion battery scrap according to claim 1, wherein the first separated solution contains lithium dissolved in the first separated solution; and wherein the first separated solution has a molar ratio of lithium to aluminum in the first separated solution (Li/Al ratio) of 1.1 or more. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method for processing the lithium ion battery scrap according to claim 1, wherein in the aluminum removal step, the second separated solution has a temperature of from 60° C. to 90° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method for processing the lithium ion battery scrap according to claim 1, wherein the third separated solution contains dissolved manganese, copper, iron and/or aluminum, wherein the method further comprises an extraction step of subjecting the third separated solution to solvent extraction to remove manganese, copper, iron and/or aluminum from the third separated solution. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method for processing the lithium ion battery scrap according to claim 6, wherein the extraction step comprises subjecting the third separated solution to solvent extraction using a mixed extracting agent containing a phosphate ester-based extracting agent and an oxime-based extracting agent. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method for processing the lithium ion battery scrap according to claim 6, further comprising a cobalt/nickel recovery step of recovering cobalt and/or nickel from an extraction residual solution after the extraction step. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method for processing the lithium ion battery scrap according to claim 8, further comprising a lithium recovery step of recovering lithium after the cobalt/nickel recovery step.