# US 2018/0026318 A1 · Waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment, and method for recovering valuable metals from lithium-based battery using same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0026318 A1 - Document ID: US20180026318A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/547,847 - Filed: 2016-02-04 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-11 - Assignees: Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources - Applicants: Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources - Inventors: Shun Myung SHIN; Sung Ho JU; Dong Ju SHIN; Jei Pil WANG; Chang Hyun OH - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180026318A1 ## CPC - H01M 10/54: Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators - C22B 1/005: {Preliminary treatment of scrap (C22B1/02 - C22B1/26 take precedence)} - C22B 7/005: {Separation by a physical processing technique only, e.g. by mechanical breaking} - H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries - H01M 10/42: Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells (H01M10/60 takes precedence) - H01M 10/4242: {Regeneration of electrolyte or reactants} - H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators - H01M 10/054: Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium - H01M 10/4207: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - H01M 10/52: Removing gases inside the secondary cell, e.g. by absorption (vent plugs or other mechanical arrangements for facilitating escape of gases H01M50/30) - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02P 10/20: Recycling - Y02W 30/84: Recycling of batteries or fuel cells - 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 - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - 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 The present invention relates to a waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment, and a method for recovering valuable metals from lithium-based batteries using the same, the waste battery treatment apparatus comprising: a frame (10); a reaction reservoir (30) which is disposed in the inner space of the frame (10) and has thereinside a treatment space (S1) in which waste batteries to be treated are disposed; an inlet 34 (33) in which a gas blocking door (34) is disposed so as to selectively communicate the treating space (S1) with the outside, and which serves as a path through which an object to be treated is inputted to the treating space (S1) of the reaction reservoir (30). In addition, the waste battery treatment apparatus is provided with a vacuum forming means (40) which is connected to the treatment space (S1) of the reaction reservoir (30) to vacuumize the treatment space (S1). In the treatment apparatus of the present invention, since the inside of the reaction reservoir (30) is vacuumized and, at the same time, an inert gas is injected thereinto while a pretreatment process of waste batteries is performed in the reaction reservoir (30), the waste batteries are prevented from exploding during heat treatment, whereby work stability can be improved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment, comprising: a frame; a reaction reservoir which is disposed in the inner space of the frame and has thereinside a treatment space in which waste batteries to be treated are disposed; an inlet in which a gas blocking door is disposed so as to selectively communicate the treatment space with an outside, and which serves as a path through which an object to be treated is inputted to the treatment space of the reaction reservoir; and a vacuum forming means which is connected to the treatment space of the reaction reservoir to vacuumize the treatment space. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 1, wherein the reaction reservoir further includes a gas inlet for inputting inert gas into the treatment space from the outside in connection with the treatment space of the reaction reservoir. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 1, wherein a rotary pump is provided in the vacuum forming means to selectively vacuumize the inside of the treatment space of the reaction reservoir. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 1, wherein a gas outlet is provided in the reaction reservoir to discharge poisonous gas and dust generated in the treatment space to the outside. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 4, wherein a connection pipe is provided between the gas outlet and the inlet to prevent the poisonous gas and the dust in the treatment space to the outside through the inlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 1, wherein the inlet obliquely extends in a central direction of the reaction reservoir and an entrance is formed at an upper end of the inlet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 1, wherein a storage device storing the waste battery which is the object to be treated is selectively inserted into the reaction reservoir, a moving device is provided at a lower portion of the storage device and the frame and the reaction reservoir are opened to one side, and as a result, the storage device is inserted into the treatment space of the reaction reservoir or separated from the treatment space through one opened side of the reaction reservoir. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 7, wherein a shielding plate is provided in the storage device to shield one opened side of the treatment space when the storage device is positioned in the treatment space of the reaction reservoir. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 8, wherein the storage device includes a lower frame with the moving device, an upper frame which extends upward from the lower frame, and a basket provided in the upper frame and having a storage space capable of the object to be treated therein. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 9, wherein the basket is configured to be separated from the upper frame and a hanger selectively hung by a hoist is provided in the basket, and as a result, the basket is elevatable by the hoist. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 10, wherein the moving device is configured by a wheel or a moving rail. ### Claim 12 A method for recovering valuable metals by a continuous heat treatment process from a lithium-based battery by using a waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment, which includes a frame, a reaction reservoir, a vacuum forming means, and an inlet, the method comprising: a vacuum forming step of vacuumizing the inside of the reaction reservoir by using the vacuum forming means; a heat treatment step of inputting and heat-treating waste batteries to be treated by opening a gas blocking door of the inlet; a closing step of closing the gas blocking door in order to prevent poisonous gas or dust in the reaction reservoir from being discharged to the outside after the waste battery inputting step; a gas discharging step of discharging the poisonous gas and dust generated during the heat treatment through a gas outlet; a gas treatment step of separating and treating valuable metal powder included in the discharged dust in the gas discharging step; a collection step of collecting the waste battery heat-treated through the heat treatment step from the reaction reservoir; and a step of crushing or grinding the collected waste battery and thereafter, separating and recovering the valuable metal powder of the crushed or ground waste battery. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method for recovering valuable metals from a lithium-based battery by using a waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 12, further comprising: a step of injecting inert gas into a treatment space through a gas inlet in order to prevent the inside of the reaction reservoir from exploding subsequently to the vacuum forming step. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method for recovering valuable metals from a lithium-based battery by using a waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 12, wherein a storage device inserting step of inputting an object to be treated into a storage device input into/output from the treatment space of the reaction reservoir and thereafter, moving the storage device and inserting the storage device into the treatment space of the reaction reservoir prior to the heat treatment step. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method for recovering valuable metals from a lithium-based battery by using a waste battery treatment apparatus using continuous heat treatment of claim 14, further comprising: a reaction reservoir separating step of separating the storage device from the treatment space of the reaction reservoir and discharging the separated storage device to the outside prior to the collection step.