# US 2024/0204275 A1 · Method for producing valuable metal

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- Number: US 2024/0204275 A1
- Document ID: US20240204275A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/288,876
- Filed: 2022-03-14
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-05-12
- Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Tomoya Hagio; Yu Yamashita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240204275A1

## CPC

- H01M 10/54: Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
- C22B 1/02: Roasting processes (C22B1/16 takes precedence)
- C22B 1/24: Binding; Briquetting {; Granulating}
- C22B 5/02: Dry methods {smelting of sulfides or formation of mattes}
- C22B 5/10: by solid carbonaceous reducing agents
- C22B 7/04: Working-up slag
- C22B 9/10: with refining or fluxing agents; Use of materials therefor, {e.g. slagging or scorifying agents}(C22B9/18 takes precedence){(C22B9/006 takes precedence)}
- C22B 23/005: {Preliminary treatment of ores, e.g. by roasting or by the Krupp-Renn process}
- C22B 23/021: {by reduction in solid state, e.g. by segregation processes}
- C22B 26/12: Obtaining lithium
- C22B 47/00: Obtaining manganese
- 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
- 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

Provided is a method for producing valuable metal from raw materials including, for example, waste lithium ion batteries by a pyrometallurgical method, said method making it possible to efficiently separate manganese included in the raw materials from metal into slag without lowering the valuable metal recovery rate. The present invention is a method for producing valuable metal from raw materials comprising: a reduction melting step for subjecting the raw materials to a reduction melting process so as to obtain a reduction product containing slag and molten metal that contains valuable metal; a slag separation step for recovering the molten metal from the reduction product; and an oxidation purification step for adding silicon dioxide (SiO2) as flux to the recovered molten metal and performing an oxidation melting process. In the oxidation purification step, SiO2 is added as the flux such that the SiO2/MnO weight ratio is 0.4-1.0 in the slag.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of producing a valuable metal from a raw material containing at least lithium, manganese, and a valuable metal, the method comprising:
a reductive melting step of subjecting the raw material to a reductive melting treatment to obtain a reduced product containing: a slag and a molten metal containing the valuable metal;
a slag separation step of recovering the molten metal from the reduced product; and
an oxidative purification step of adding silicon dioxide (SiO2) as a flux to the recovered molten metal and subjecting a resulting mixture to an oxidative melting treatment,
wherein SiO2 is added in the oxidative melting treatment as a flux such that a weight ratio of SiO2/MnO in a slag is 0.4 or more and 1.0 or less.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of producing a valuable metal according to claim 1,
wherein a manganese content contained in the raw material is 15% by mass or less.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of producing a valuable metal according to claim 1, further comprising a preheating step of heating and oxidatively roasting the raw material,
wherein, in the reductive melting step, a raw material after the oxidative roasting is subjected to the reductive melting treatment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of producing a valuable metal according to claim 1,
wherein the raw material includes a discarded lithium ion battery.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of producing a valuable metal according to claim 2, further comprising a preheating step of heating and oxidatively roasting the raw material,
wherein, in the reductive melting step, a raw material after the oxidative roasting is subjected to the reductive melting treatment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of producing a valuable metal according to claim 2,
wherein the raw material includes a discarded lithium ion battery.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The method of producing a valuable metal according to claim 3,
wherein the raw material includes a discarded lithium ion battery.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of producing a valuable metal according to claim 5,
wherein the raw material includes a discarded lithium ion battery.