Energy-efficient pyrometallurgical process for treating Li-ion batteries
AssigneeUmicore AG & Co. KG
InventorLennart Scheunis
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Abstract
The present disclosure concerns a 2-step smelting process, for recovering of Ni and Co from batteries and other sources. The process comprises the steps of: defining an oxidizing level Ox, and a battery-bearing metallurgical charge; oxidizing smelting of the metallurgical charge by injecting an O2-bearing gas into the melt to reach the defined oxidizing level Ox; and, reducing smelting of the obtained slag using a heat source and a reducing agent. The process is more energy-efficient than a single-step reducing smelting process and provides for a higher purity alloy and for a cleaner final slag.
Claims12
Process for the recovery of valuable metals from a metallurgical charge comprising slag formers, and Li-ion batteries or their derived products containing Co, Ni, metallic Al, and C, wherein the slag formers comprise one or more of CaO, Al2O3, and SiO2, comprising the steps of:
- providing a metallurgical smelting furnace equipped with means for the submerged injection of an O2-bearing gas;
- defining an oxidizing level Ox characterizing oxidizing smelting conditions according to the formula:
- Ox
- =
- p
-
- CO
- 2
- /
- (
- p
-
- CO
- +
- p
-
- CO
- 2
- )
- ,
- wherein 0.1<Ox<1, pCO and pCO2 are the partial pressures of CO and CO2 in contact with the melt;
- preparing the metallurgical charge comprising a weight fraction Bf of Li-ion batteries or their derived products, according to the formula:
- 1
- >
- Bf
- >
- 0.3
- /
- (
- (
- 1
- +
- 3.5
- *
- Ox
- )
- *
- C
- )
- +
- 2.5
- *
- Al
- )
- ,
- wherein Ox is the oxidizing level, and Al and C are the weight fractions of respectively metallic Al and C in said batteries or their derived products;
- oxidizing smelting the metallurgical charge by injecting an O2-bearing gas into the melt to reach the defined oxidizing level Ox, thereby obtaining a first alloy with a major part of Ni, and a first slag containing residual Ni and Co;
- liquid/liquid separation of the first alloy from the first slag;
- and
- reducing smelting of the first slag using a heat source and a reducing agent, maintaining a reduction potential ensuring the reduction of Co and Ni, thereby producing a second alloy, and a second slag containing less than 1% by weight of Ni.
Process for the recovery of valuable metals from a metallurgical charge comprising slag formers, wherein the slag formers comprise one or more of CaO, Al2O3 and SiO2, and Li-ion batteries or their derived products containing Co, Ni, metallic Al, and C, comprising the steps of:
- providing a metallurgical smelting furnace equipped with means for the submerged injection of an O2-bearing gas;
- preparing the metallurgical charge using a weight fraction Bf of Li-ion batteries or their derived products in the metallurgical charge;
- defining an oxidizing level Ox characterizing oxidizing smelting conditions according to the formula:
- Ox
- =
- p
-
- CO
- 2
- /
- (
- p
-
- CO
- +
- p
-
- CO
- 2
- )
- >
- (
- (
- (
- 0.3
- /
- Bf
- -
- 2.5
- *
- Al
- )
- /
- C
- )
- -
- 1
- )
- /
- 3
- .
- 5
- ,
- wherein 0.1<Ox<1, pCO and pCO2 are the partial pressures of CO and CO2 in contact with the melt, and Al and C are the weight fractions of respectively metallic Al and C in said batteries or their derived products;
- oxidizing smelting the metallurgical charge by injecting an O2-bearing gas into the melt to reach the defined oxidizing level Ox, thereby obtaining a first alloy with a major part of Ni, and a first slag containing residual Ni and Co;
- liquid/liquid separation of the first alloy from the first slag;
- and,
- reducing smelting of the first slag using a heat source and a reducing agent, maintaining a reduction potential ensuring the reduction of Co and Ni, thereby producing a second alloy, and a second slag containing less than 1% by weight of Ni.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.