Abstract
The growth of the lithium-ion battery industry requires a secure supply of raw materials and appropriate end-of-life management of batteries. In almost five years, global cobalt consumption has increased by nearly 30%, driven mainly by rechargeable batteries. Consequently, several risks have been identified for cobalt, in particular the growing demand for electric vehicles, which could exceed current production. Therefore, research into the recovery of this critical metal, from industrial or urban waste, is particularly important in the years to come. In this study, cobalt is recovered from a lithium-ion battery leachate in hydroxide form. The thermodynamic simulations performed with Visual Minteq showed that it was possible to recover 99.8% of cobalt (II) hydroxide at 25 °C. Based on these results, experiments were conducted to validate the hypotheses put forward and to compare the results obtained with the simulations performed. Experimentally, several operating parameters were studied to determine the optimal conditions for cobalt recovery, in terms of yield, filterability, and selectivity. Results obtained in a batch reactor allowed the determination of the temperature conditions to be applied in continuous reactor. The cobalt (II) hydroxide precipitation in continuous reactor was carried out under different pH conditions. It was then possible to determine the optimal conditions for cobalt recovery in terms of yield and filterability. Results showed that working at pH 9 would effectively meet the desired criteria. Indeed, cobalt recovery is close to 100% and filtration flow rate is three times higher. Results obtained allow a better understanding of cobalt (II) hydroxide precipitation.
Highlights
Many high value-added technologies contain an almost unavoidable metal: cobalt
Based on the global growth of Li-ion batteries used in the automotive sector over the past five years, it is estimated that the global market for electric vehicles will reach 125 million electric vehicles by 2030 [4]
Based on the solubility products of the different metal hydroxides at 25 ◦C and on the concentrations of the metals, copper hydroxide is the most insoluble and precipitates at the lowest pH. This is followed by the successive precipitation of nickel (II), cobalt (II) and manganese (II) hydroxides
Summary
Many high value-added technologies contain an almost unavoidable metal: cobalt. Due to its unique properties, cobalt is used in many industrial applications such as aerospace, superalloys, and in hydrocarbon desulfurization, which is crucial for the clean fuel industry. Based on the global growth of Li-ion batteries used in the automotive sector over the past five years, it is estimated that the global market for electric vehicles will reach 125 million electric vehicles by 2030 [4]. The need to reduce its environmental footprint is driving the growth for electric vehicles demand. This strong demand for electric vehicles could exceed current cobalt production capacity. It becomes necessary to secure the cobalt supply by moving towards alternative solutions such as recycling This solution would reduce the primary metals consumption, secure the supply of raw materials and reduce waste. Recycling saves energy because the production of metal from recycled materials uses less energy than ore processing [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
