Battery recycling by treatment of the leach with metallic nickel

A process for the recovery of transition metal from cathode active materials containing nickel and lithium, wherein said process comprises the steps of

• (a) treating a lithium containing transition metal oxide material with a leaching agent,
• (b) adjusting the pH value to 2.5 to 8, and
• (c) treating the solution obtained in step (b) with metallic nickel, cobalt or manganese or a combination of at least two of the foregoing,
• wherein between steps (b) and (c) a step (b1) is performed, said step (b1) comprising the removal of precipitates of phosphates, tungstate, oxides, hydroxides or oxyhydroxides of Al, Fe, Zr, Zn, Ca or Cu or combinations of at least two of the foregoing, and
• wherein the solution obtained from step (c) is treated by hydrogen injection in the solution at a temperature above 100° C. and a partial pressure above 5 bar to precipitate metal and optionally followed by separation of the obtained precipitate.