Abstract
In this study, industrial lithium-ion battery (LIB) waste was treated by a froth flotation process, which allowed selective separation of electrode particles from metallic-rich fractions containing Cu and Al. In the flotation experiments, recovery rates of ~80 and 98.8% for the cathode active elements (Co, Ni, Mn) and graphite were achieved, respectively. The recovered metals from the flotation fraction were subsequently used in high-temperature Cu-slag reduction. In this manner, the possibility of using metallothermic reduction for Cu-slag reduction using Al-wires from LIB waste as the main reductant was studied. The behavior of valuable (Cu, Ni, Co, Li) and hazardous metals (Zn, As, Sb, Pb), as a function of time as well as the influence of Cu-slag-to-spent battery (SB) ratio, were investigated. The results showcase a suitable process to recover copper from spent batteries and industrial Cu-slag. Cu-concentration decreased to approximately 0.3 wt.% after 60 min reduction time in all samples where Cu/Al-rich LIB waste fraction was added. It was also showed that aluminothermic reduction is effective for removing hazardous metals from the slag. The proposed process is also capable of recovering Cu, Co, and Ni from both Cu-slag and LIB waste, resulting in a secondary Cu slag that can be used in various applications.
Highlights
Waste lithium-ion battery (LIB) represent a complex material mixture comprising various components, including metallic materials (Cu, Al, Fe), plastics, metal salts, graphite, and other inorganic and organic compounds [1,2]
Based on the literature studies considering the properties of Cu-slag and aluminothermic smelting reduction method [26,27], as well as on our previous efforts on integrating Ni-slag cleaning with battery recycling [21,22], this study explores the integration of Al and Cu-rich fraction obtained after flotation of battery scrap into the Cu-slag reduction process
This leaves some of the active material adhered on the coarse particle surfaces, hindering size-based separation by sieveTs.hTehreesreuflotsres,hsoiwevneisnizthesismarutcichlelasruggegretshtatnhatthiendacutsivtreiapl aCruticslleagdiparmereetderucatrieonneceadnebde, integrated with LIB waste recycling, and that synergistic benefits for both processes can be achieved
Summary
Waste LIBs represent a complex material mixture comprising various components, including metallic materials (Cu, Al, Fe), plastics, metal salts, graphite, and other inorganic and organic compounds [1,2]. This complexity poses a significant challenge for battery recycling processes, requiring careful mechanical pretreatment for the preliminary separation of the components [3,4,5]. This pretreatment is based on physical properties, and serve the purpose of increasing the process throughput, helping the economic viability of recycling [6,7]. Since the active materials are finer than the other constituents of the waste LIB stream, sieving is usually performed to recover them as a concentrate in the underflow, leaving macroscopic components (e.g., casing and wires) in the overflow [11,12]
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