Extraction of metals from lithium-ion battery material
AssigneeMetso Finland Oy
InventorsTuomas VAN DER MEER, Marika TIIHONEN, Annukka MAKINEN, Niko ISOMAKI, Roshan BUDHATHOKI
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Abstract
A method for extracting metals from the black mass of lithium-ion batteries, the black mass containing the anode and cathode materials of the batteries as well as some copper, and the cathode material comprising lithium and nickel. The method of extracting metals carried out by an arrangement that is suitable for use in the method.
Claims25
A method for extracting metals from the black mass of lithium-ion batteries, the black mass containing the anode and cathode materials of the batteries as well as some copper, and the cathode material comprising lithium and nickel, the method comprising the following steps:
- a) one or more pre-treatment steps, wherein a fraction of non-metallic material is separated from the black mass, and a pre-treated black mass containing anode and cathode materials is recovered,
- b) one or more leaching steps, wherein cathode material of the pre-treated black mass is dissolved, and a leach solution containing the dissolved cathode material is recovered, and
- c) metal separation steps, wherein one or more initial fractions of metallic material is separated from the leach solution, and main fractions including at least nickel and lithium are recovered,
- i) whereby the metal separation steps include a step for recovering copper, including a cementation of the copper using nickel as reducing agent, and carried out before the nickel of the leach solution is recovered,
- ii) whereby the nickel is recovered after the copper recovery, but before the lithium recovery, and
- iii) whereby the nickel is recovered by solvent extraction.
An arrangement for extracting metals from the black mass of lithium-ion batteries, the black mass containing the anode and cathode materials of the batteries, wherein the cathode material comprises lithium and nickel, the arrangement comprising:
- one or more pre-treatment units for separating a fraction of non-metallic components from the black mass, and recovering a pre-treated black mass containing the anode and cathode materials,
- one or more leaching units for dissolving cathode material of the pre-treated black mass and recovering a leach solution containing said dissolved cathode material,
- metal separation units for separating one or more initial fractions of metallic material from the leach solution and recovering main fractions including at least nickel and lithium,
- whereby the metal separation units further include a copper separation unit, including or consisting of a cementation unit, the copper separation unit being equipped with a nickel inlet and positioned upstream from any unit intended for nickel recovery,
- whereby an unit for recovering nickel is positioned downstream from the copper separation unit and upstream from a lithium recovery unit, and
- whereby the unit for recovering nickel includes a subunit for solvent extraction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.