Green and efficient recovery of valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries using molasses: Parametric optimization and performance evaluation.

Abstract

In this study, a green and efficient leaching system utilizing methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and sugarcane molasses is investigated, and conditions optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Results show that molasses is capable of reducing the oxidation state thus facilitating the leaching of the transition metals and lithium. The dissolution rate of the metals in molasses-methanesulfonic acid media is observed to be fast and temperature dependent. >98% of all the metals can be dissolved under the optimized leaching condition of 2 M MSA, reductant dosage of 0.408 g (molasses)/g (cathode material) on a wet molasses (18.5% moisture) and dry cathode material basis, solid-liquid ratio of 50 g/L, 90 °C and 60 min. The proposed system provides an efficient waste-to-wealth approach that utilizes an agro-industrial by-product to recover hazardous metals present in spent LIBs.