Recycling of lithium batteries: extraction of lithium and cobalt

Nowadays, most electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, and electric vehicles use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. However, when these lithium batteries are used for two to three years, their function and efficiency will deteriorate and even end their lifetime. At this point, it is necessary to consider the issue of recycling. A recent study, published in the journal International Energy Technology and Policy, describes a new way to extract lithium and cobalt from these batteries, which make up most of the battery components.

scheme

According to AtaurRahman, Department of Mechanical Engineering, International Islamic University of Malaysia, and RafiaAfroz, Department of Economics, lithium ion batteries require two metals, lithium and cobalt, which are increasingly expensive because of their manufacture. Currently, they have developed a new recycling technology that can effectively extract these metals from waste batteries.

technology

The team used hydrometallurgical technology to reduce cobalt and lithium from 48.8 Wh lithium batteries in laboratory-level tests. This process includes: first, baking batteries in an oven of 700 degrees Celsius, "calcination" cobalt, lithium, and copper, destroying organic compounds such as plastics and foams. This calcined material carries metals and metal compounds(salts and oxides) and then uses strong acids, hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid to extract metal ions. The team used hydrogen peroxide as a reducing agent to test whether the reagent could improve the leaching process. They can extract lithium at about 50 % efficiency and cobalt at about 25 % efficiency.

feasibility

Because these metals represent 41 % and 8.5 % of the weight of 48.8 Wh batteries, the overall extraction rate is relatively high. In addition, the effects of heat and acid constitute a commercially feasible solution for the recovery of these batteries. electrode.

The leached metal can then be used to make new batteries or for other industrial applications. This contaminated liquid waste can be further recycled more safely.

The page contains the contents of the machine translation.