Method of recovery of nickel and cobalt

A method for recovering nickel and cobalt, the method comprising:

• (a) heat-treating a lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide in a range of about 600 degrees Celsius to 800 degrees Celsius and for 1 hour to 3 hours in a reducing atmosphere containing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and mixtures thereof, to produce a mixture containing lithium carbonate (Li2CO3), nickel oxide (NiO), cobalt oxide (CoO) and nickel cobalt oxide (NiCoO);
• (b) water-washing the mixture to obtain a residue;
• and
• (c) heat-treating the residue,
• wherein the heat-treatment of the residue includes primary and secondary heat-treatments performed respectively in first and second reactors connected to each other via a guide line,
• wherein the primary heat treatment includes heat-treating the residue at about 50 degrees Celsius to 200 degrees Celsius in the first reactor having a reducing atmosphere containing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and a mixture thereof, to produce a cobalt metal powder and a nickel-containing gas from the residue,
• wherein the nickel-containing gas produced in the primary heat treatment is transferred from the first reactor to the second reactor via the guide line maintained at a temperature of about 70 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius,
• wherein in the secondary heat treatment, a heat treatment is performed in the second reactor having an atmosphere of the nickel-containing gas transferred from the first reactor at about 150 degrees Celsius to 350 degrees Celsius, to produce nickel.