# US 12,603,338 B2 · Active material recovery method using positive electrode scrap > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,603,338 B2 - Document ID: US12603338B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/016,217 - Filed: 2021-06-29 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-24 - Assignees: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Applicants: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Inventors: Min-Seo Kim; Se-Ho Park; Doo-Kyung Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603338B2 ## CPC - C01G 53/42: containing alkali metals, e.g. LiNiO2 - H01M 10/54: Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators - C01G 53/50: of the type (MnO2)n-, e.g. Li(NixMn1-x)O2 or Li(MyNixMn1-x-y)O2 - C01G 53/502: containing lithium and cobalt - C01G 53/504: with the molar ratio of nickel with respect to all the metals other than alkali metals higher than or equal to 0.5, e.g. Li(MzNixCoyMn1-x-y-z)O2 with x ≥ 0.5 - C01G 53/506: with the molar ratio of nickel with respect to all the metals other than alkali metals higher than or equal to 0.8, e.g. Li(MzNixCoyMn1-x-y-z)O2 with x ≥ 0.8 - C22B 7/001: {Dry processes} - H01M 4/0471: {involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis} - H01M 4/131: Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx - H01M 4/505: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy - H01M 4/525: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy - H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators - H01M 2004/028: {Positive electrodes} - Y02P 10/20: Recycling - Y02W 30/84: Recycling of batteries or fuel cells - C01G: COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F (metal hydrides {monoborane, diborane or addition complexes thereof} C01B6/00; salts of oxyacids of halogens C01B11/00; peroxides, salts or peroxyacids C01B15/00; thiosulfates, dithionites, polythionates C01B17/64; compounds containing selenium, or tellurium C01B19/00; binary compounds of nitrogen with metals C01B21/06; azides C01B21/08; {compounds containing nitrogen, other non-metals and metal C01B21/082}; metal amides C01B21/092; nitrites C01B21/50; {compounds of noble gases C01B23/0005}; phosphides C01B25/08; salts of oxyacids of phosphorus C01B25/16; carbides C01B32/90; compounds containing silicon C01B33/00; compounds containing boron C01B35/00; compounds having molecular sieve properties but not having base-exchange properties C01B37/00; compounds having molecular sieve and base-exchange properties, e.g. crystalline zeolites, C01B39/00; cyanides C01C3/08; salts of cyanamide C01C3/16; thiocyanates C01C3/20) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS - 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 of recovering an active material from a positive electrode scrap and reusing the active material is provided. The method includes (a) heat treating a positive electrode scrap including a positive electrode active material layer on a current collector in air to thermally decompose a binder and a conductive material in the positive electrode active material layer, separating the current collector from the positive electrode active material layer, and recovering an active material in the positive electrode active material layer, wherein the active material comprises a lithium composite transition metal oxide; (b) washing the recovered active material with a cleaning solution; (c) adding a lithium precursor to the washed active material and annealing the active material; and (d) optionally performing surface coating on the annealed active material and obtaining a reusable active material, wherein an amount of the lithium precursor added in step (c) is determined so that an amount of a remaining lithium compound in the reusable active material is 0.0001 to 1.2 wt %. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for recovering a positive electrode active material, comprising: (a) heat treating a positive electrode scrap including a positive electrode active material layer on a current collector in air to thermally decompose a binder and a conductive material in the positive electrode active material layer, separating the current collector from the positive electrode active material layer, and recovering an active material in the positive electrode active material layer, wherein the active material comprises a lithium composite transition metal oxide; (b) washing the recovered active material with a cleaning solution; (c) adding a lithium precursor to the washed active material and annealing the washed active material with the lithium precursor, and obtaining a reusable active material; and (d) optionally performing surface coating on the annealed active material, wherein the lithium precursor is added in an amount corresponding to a molar ratio of 0.09 to 0.12 of further added lithium with respect to the lithium component of 1:1 molar ratio of lithium to other metals in the positive electrode active material, and wherein an amount of a remaining lithium compound in the reusable active material is 0.0001 to 1.2 wt %. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein heat treating is performed for 10 minutes to 24 hours at 300 to 650° C. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the cleaning solution is a lithium compound aqueous solution showing basicity in an aqueous solution state, the lithium compound aqueous solution contains a lithium compound more than 0% and equal to or less than 15%, and the washing step (b) is performed for up to one week. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein washing is performed by impregnating the recovered active material in the lithium compound aqueous solution and at the same time stirring the recovered active material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the lithium precursor comprises at least one of LiOH, Li2CO3, LiNO3 and Li2O. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, without drying after the washing, the lithium precursor is added in step (c) by mixing the washed active material in a lithium precursor solution and spray drying the active material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a temperature of the spray drying is 100 to 300° C. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the annealing is performed at 400 to 1000° C. in air. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a temperature of the annealing exceeds a melting point of the lithium precursor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the active material in the active material layer is recovered in powder form, and a carbon component generated by carbonization of the binder or the conductive material does not remain on a surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the surface coating includes a coating of at least one of a metal, an organic metal and a carbon component on a surface of the annealed active material using a solid or liquid method, and then performing heat treatment at 100 to 1200° C. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reusable active material is represented by Chemical Formula 1 below, LiaNixMnyCozMwO2+δ (1) wherein M includes at least one selected from the group consisting of B, W, Al, Ti and Mg, 1