Battery deconstruction apparatus and methods

Apparatus for recycling batteries containing solid battery materials and liquid electrolyte, comprising:

• a shredder subassembly, including a feed hopper having a hopper inlet adapted to receive the batteries to be shredded, an intermediate hopper connected to said feed hopper via a first valve, a shredding chamber connected to said intermediate hopper via a second valve, and at least one shredder at least partially contained in said shredding chamber and configured to shred the solid battery materials into shredded battery materials;
• an auger subassembly adapted to receive the shredded battery materials from said shredder subassembly;
• a rotary screen subassembly, adapted to receive the shredded battery materials via said auger subassembly, said rotary screen subassembly including a housing having an inlet end proximal to said auger subassembly and an outlet end distal to said auger subassembly, a cylindrical rotary screen provided with a plurality of holes and adapted for rotation via a motor, a plurality of spiral baffles provided along the length of said cylindrical rotary screen, a soaking chamber located in said cylindrical rotary screen proximal to said inlet end of said housing, a plurality of spray nozzles contained within said housing and adapted to discharge solvent in said housing, a discharge duct adapted to receive solvent and liquid electrolyte at said inlet end of said housing and a discharge chute adapted to receive shredded battery materials at said outlet end of said housing;
• a solvent recovery/recirculation subassembly, including a collection tank located below and to one side of said rotary screen subassembly, said discharge duct extending from said housing to said collection tank, whereby solvent, liquid electrolyte and shredded battery materials can flow from said rotary screen subassembly to said solvent recovery/recirculation subassembly, baffles provided on said collection tank, adapted to create a centrifugal effect on solvent, liquid electrolyte and shredded battery materials delivered to said collection tank, a waste drain adapted to receive solvent, liquid electrolyte and/or shredded battery materials, a third valve adapted to control flow through said waste drain, a separation area adapted to separate shredded battery materials from solvent, a fourth valve adapted to discharge solvent from said collection tank, and a pump adapted to transport solvent discharged from said fourth valve to said rotary screen subassembly via a recirculation duct for reuse;
• and
• a control system, adapted to coordinate operation of said first valve and said second valve.