Processes and systems for purifying and recycling lithium-ion battery waste streams

A process for recovering metals from a lithium-ion battery waste stream, the process comprising:

• purifying a lithium-ion battery waste liquid stream comprising sulfuric acid (H2SO4), fluorine (F), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), lithium (Li), and one or more additional impurities selected from the group consisting of:
• phosphate (P), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and titanium (Ti), in a first reactor to remove fluorine (F), copper (Cu), and the one or more additional impurities, wherein the purifying sequentially includes:
• (i) precipitating copper (Cu) via a cementation reaction or a sulfidation reaction;
• (ii) adding a source of calcium oxide (CaO) and an oxidant to the waste liquid stream having a pH of greater than or equal to about 1 to less than or equal to about 2 to generate calcium fluoride (CaF2) that precipitates out of the waste liquid stream;
• and
• (iii) after the (i) precipitating copper (Cu) and the (ii) adding the source of calcium oxide (CaO) and the oxidant, adding an inorganic base to increase pH of the waste liquid stream to generate one or more metal precipitate compounds selected from the group consisting of:
• aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3), titanium hydroxide (Ti(OH)4), iron phosphate (FePO4), and one or more iron hydroxides (Fe(OH)3 and Fe(OH)2);
• passing the waste liquid stream exiting the first reactor through a filter to generate a purified filtrate liquid stream and a second retentate separating nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and cobalt (Co) from the purified filtrate liquid stream by passing the purified filtrate liquid stream into one or more of:
• (i) a second reactor for conducting a co-precipitation process by increasing pH;
• or
• (ii) one or more chromatographic columns;
• to generate an intermediate liquid stream comprising lithium (Li) and one or more recovered products comprising one or more of nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and cobalt (Co) that are removed from the intermediate liquid stream;
• and
• introducing the intermediate liquid stream into a lithium precipitation reactor to precipitate at least one compound comprising lithium (Li), wherein the separating recovers greater than or equal to about 80% by mass of each of nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and cobalt (Co) from the purified filtrate liquid stream, the one or more recovered products have a purity level of greater than or equal to about 98% and comprise less than or equal to about 2% by mass of a total cumulative amount of impurities comprising aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), phosphorus (P), titanium (Ti) and fluorine (F).

A process for recovering metals from a lithium-ion battery waste stream, the process comprising:

• purifying a lithium-ion battery waste liquid stream comprising sulfuric acid (H2SO4), fluorine (F), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), lithium (Li), and one or more additional impurities selected from the group consisting of:
• phosphate (P), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and titanium (Ti), in a first reactor to remove fluorine (F), copper (Cu), and the one or more additional impurities, wherein the purifying includes:
• (i) removing copper (Cu) from the waste liquid stream;
• (ii) adding a source of calcium oxide and an oxidant to generate calcium fluoride (CaF2) that precipitates out of the waste liquid stream;
• and
• (iii) adding a first inorganic base to increase pH of the waste liquid stream to generate one or more metal precipitate compounds selected from the group consisting of:
• aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3), titanium hydroxide (Ti(OH)4), iron phosphate (FePO4), and one or more iron hydroxides (Fe(OH)3 and Fe(OH)2);
• passing the waste liquid stream exiting the first reactor through a filter to generate a purified filtrate liquid stream and a second retentate;
• separating nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and cobalt (Co) from the purified filtrate liquid stream by passing the purified filtrate liquid stream through at least one chromatographic column to generate an intermediate liquid stream comprising lithium (Li) and one or more recovered products comprising one or more of nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and cobalt (Co) that are removed from the intermediate liquid stream, where the separating further comprises:
• passing the purified filtrate liquid stream in a first direction in the at least one chromatographic column comprising a chelating resin to conduct a chromatographic separation process at a pH of less than or equal to about 4.5 that generates a raffinate stream comprising at least one manganese (Mn)-containing species and at least one lithium (Li)-containing species that exits the at least one chromatographic column, while nickel (Ni) ions and cobalt (Co) ions are retained on the chelating resin in the at least one chromatographic column;
• regenerating the at least one chromatographic column by passing a regeneration liquid having a pH of less than or equal to about 1.5 in the at least one chromatographic column to form an extract stream comprising the nickel (Ni) ions and cobalt (Co) ions;
• precipitating nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) and cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)2) from the extract stream;
• and
• introducing the intermediate liquid stream into a lithium precipitation reactor to precipitate at least one compound comprising lithium (Li).