Process for Recovery of Battery Cathode Metal Oxides And Copper From The Wastes

Abstract

A process for recovery of at least one transition metal including selected Ni, Co and Mn and lithium from waste of lithium ion batteries comprising the steps of, subjecting at least a part of said waste of lithium ion batteries including said transition metal in trivalent state to reductive leaching in mineral/organic acids in presence of copper as reductant in the temperature range of 0-100° C. for 5 mins to 12 hrs; and thereafter, following said leaching step by solid liquid separation to remove the undissolved materials to get the clear leach solution of anyone or more of Li, Ni, Co, Mn and Cu for desired recovery therefrom. The process pertains specifically to reductive leaching of a portion of the black mass of the waste lithium ion batteries with copper and selectively reducing the remaining portion of said black mass at high temperature followed by cementation of copper with the metals present in the reduced mass in an energy-efficient and cost-effective technique compared to the conventional high temperature reduction. The reduction step can be avoided by removing the copper from solution either by selective crystallization of copper, or selective Electrowinning of copper or by use of Ni/Co containing scrap.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.