Method for recovering valuable metals from spent lithium-ion-batteries

A method for recovering valuable metals from a spent lithium ion battery, wherein the lithium ion battery is lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12), lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide LiNixMnyCozO2 (x+y+z=1), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide LiNixCoyAl2O2 (x+y+z=1) or lithium phosphate (Li3PO4) battery, the method comprises:

• a) opening a spent lithium ion battery (LIB), and remove its cover;
• b) grinding the spent LIB, after removing its cover at predetermined temperature to obtain a particulate spent lithium ion batteries material including particles having a predetermined grain size;
• c) separating from said particulate spent lithium ion batteries material any plastic and Teflon matrix;
• d) treating said separated particulate spent lithium ion batteries material with a reducing gas comprising CH4/N2 gas mixture, CH4/air gas mixture, CH4 gas, or treated with solid carbon at predetermined temperature for carbonation of the lithium to obtain a particulate spent lithium ion batteries material comprising lithium carbonate;
• e) treating said particulate spent lithium ion batteries material comprising lithium carbonate with water at a temperature of 25° C. or below and optionally with additional CO2 obtaining a slurry;
• f) filtering the slurry obtained in step (e) to obtain a lithium carbonate filtrate and a residue comprising cobalt, iron, other valuable metals, and non-metal impurities;
• g) heating said lithium carbonate filtrate at predetermined temperature to lithium carbonate precipitate sedimentation followed by filtration to obtain lithium carbonate precipitate and a mother liquid;
• and
• h) treating said residue comprising the valuable metals, and non-metal impurities of step (f) with a flux at predetermined temperature to obtain valuable metallic ingots;
• wherein the valuable metals comprise cobalt, nickel, manganese, titanium, tin, lead, zinc, or combination thereof;
• and
• wherein the method does not comprise an alkaline earth hydroxide treatment.