Valuable metal production method

Abstract

Provided is a method which makes it possible to suppress wear of a treatment furnace, and to safely and efficiently collect valuable metals from raw materials including waste lithium-ion batteries and the like. This method is for producing a valuable metal from a raw material including the valuable metal and comprises: a preparation step for preparing a raw material including at least lithium (Li), aluminum (Al), and a valuable metal; a reduction melting step for subjecting the raw material to a reduction melting treatment to obtain a reduced product including a slag and an alloy containing the valuable metal; and a slag separation step for separating the slag from the reduced product to collect the alloy. The preparation step and/or the reduction melting step include adding, to the raw material, a flux containing calcium (Ca), and also adding thereto magnesia (MgO).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.