US 2024/0198251 A1Published application

Method and apparatus for recovering organic carbonates

AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsKenichiro MURAMATSU, Kazuki NORITAKE, Keisuke ISOMURA, Hiroshi KASAHARA

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Abstract

A method for recovering organic carbonates in an electrolytic solution of a waste lithium ion battery is provided. The organic carbonates include a first carbonate and a second carbonate having a higher melting point and a higher boiling point than the first carbonate. The method includes performing a temperature adjustment process in which an internal temperature of a drier in which the waste lithium ion battery is accommodated is kept in a first temperature range, an internal temperature of a pipe extending to below the drier is kept in a second temperature range, and an internal temperature of a condenser connected to the drier via the pipe is kept in a third temperature range, and performing a recovery process of reducing internal pressures of the drier, the pipe, and the condenser from a normal pressure to a first pressure and recovering the first carbonate in the condenser.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method for recovering organic carbonates contained in an electrolytic solution of a waste lithium ion battery,

the organic carbonates including a first carbonate and a second carbonate, the second carbonate having a melting point being higher the first carbonate and a boiling point being higher than the first carbonate,
the method comprising:
performing a temperature adjustment process in which an internal temperature of a drier in which the waste lithium ion battery is accommodated is kept in a first temperature range, an internal temperature of a pipe extending to below the drier is kept in a second temperature range, and an internal temperature of a condenser connected to the drier via the pipe is kept in a third temperature range;
and
performing a first recovery process of reducing an internal pressure of the drier, an internal pressure of the pipe, and an internal pressure of the condenser from a normal pressure to a first pressure and recovering the first carbonate in the condenser, wherein:
the first temperature range includes a temperature range in which only the first carbonate vaporizes at the first pressure and both the first carbonate and the second carbonate vaporize at a second pressure lower than the first pressure;
the second temperature range includes a temperature range higher than or equal to the melting point of the second carbonate at the first pressure and lower than or equal to a thermal decomposition temperature of an electrolyte of the waste lithium ion battery at the second pressure;
and
the third temperature range includes a temperature range in which the first carbonate liquefies at the first pressure.

6 more elements

An apparatus for recovering organic carbonates contained in an electrolytic solution of a waste lithium ion battery, the apparatus comprising:

a drier in which a waste lithium ion battery is accommodated;
a pipe extending to below the drier;
a condenser connected to the drier via the pipe;
a pressure pump configured to adjust an internal pressure of the drier, an internal pressure of the pipe, and an internal pressure of the condenser;
a drier heater configured to adjust an internal temperature of the drier;
a pipe heater configured to adjust an internal temperature of the pipe;
and
a condenser heater configured to adjust an internal temperature of the condenser, wherein:
the organic carbonates include a first carbonate and a second carbonate, the second carbonate having a melting point being higher than the first carbonate and a boiling point being higher than the first carbonate;
when a first recovery process of the first carbonate is performed, the drier heater is configured to keep the internal temperature of the drier in a first temperature range, the pipe heater is configured to keep the internal temperature of the pipe in a second temperature range, and the condenser heater is configured to keep the internal temperature of the condenser in a third temperature range;
in the first recovery process of the first carbonate, the pressure pump is configured to reduce the internal pressure of the drier, the internal pressure of the pipe, and the internal pressure of the condenser from a normal pressure to a first pressure;
the first temperature range includes a temperature range in which only the first carbonate vaporizes at the first pressure and both the first carbonate and the second carbonate vaporize at a second pressure lower than the first pressure;
the second temperature range includes a temperature range higher than or equal to the melting point of the second carbonate at the first pressure and lower than or equal to a thermal decomposition temperature of an electrolyte of the waste lithium ion battery at the second pressure;
and
the third temperature range includes a temperature range in which the first carbonate liquefies at the first pressure.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.