Disclosure of Invention
In order to solve the technical problems of long discharge time, unsatisfactory discharge effect and the like of the conventional discharge method for recycling the lithium ion battery, the invention provides an efficient and clean discharge method for the lithium ion battery, and aims to improve the discharge effect while shortening the discharge time.
A discharge method of waste lithium ion batteries is characterized in that battery packs of the waste lithium ion batteries or battery monomers obtained by disassembly are placed in a solution (also called a salt solution) dissolved with reducing salt for discharging;
the reducing salt discharges preferentially to OH-in aqueous solution.
According to research, the invention discovers that the residual electric quantity of the waste lithium ion battery is discharged in the salt solution by an oxidation-reduction method. The method can realize high-efficiency discharge, and researches show that the method not only obviously shortens the discharge time, but also is beneficial to achieving complete discharge (discharge to 0V), and has obvious advantages compared with the existing method which can only achieve the discharge effect of 0.7V. In addition, the method of the invention does not corrode the battery pack (or single battery) device, does not cause leakage of highly toxic electrolyte (such as methyl carboxylate) in the discharging process, and does not cause adverse effects on personnel and environment.
According to the technical scheme of the invention, the reducibility in aqueous solution is necessary to be prior to OH-. Preferably, the reducing salt is a water-soluble sulfide salt and/or hydrosulfide salt.
More preferably, the water-soluble sulfide salt is an alkali metal sulfide; the hydrosulfide salt is alkali metal hydrosulfide.
More preferably, the reducing salt is at least one of sodium sulfide, potassium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfide and potassium hydrosulfide.
Most preferably, the reducing salt is sodium sulfide. Researches show that the solution of the sodium sulfide is adopted to carry out discharge, the effect is better, the discharge time is shorter, the discharge effect (discharge degree) can easily reach 0V, and the solution has better discharge effect.
The solution dissolved with the reducing salt is preferably an aqueous solution of the reducing salt, the solution system is allowed to contain some solvents except water, and the solvent is preferably a solvent which is infinitely miscible with water.
Research also finds that controlling the mass percentage of the reducing salt in a proper solution is helpful for further improving the discharge efficiency and further improving the discharge effect.
Preferably, the concentration of the reducing salt in the solution in which the reducing salt is dissolved is not less than 5 wt%. At this preferred concentration, the discharge can be made to 0V at 14h, and the technical effect is excellent.
More preferably, the concentration of the reducing salt in the solution in which the reducing salt is dissolved is 5 to 20 wt%.
More preferably, the concentration of the reducing salt in the solution containing the reducing salt dissolved therein is 10 to 15 wt%. Research shows that under the preferable concentration, the time from discharging to 0V can be shortened to 6h, the discharging effect is better, and the discharging efficiency is better.
The inventor researches and discovers that the discharging effect can be further improved, the discharging time can be shortened, and the discharging effect can be improved by controlling the pH value in the discharging process, the temperature in the discharging process, adding a conductive material in the solution dissolved with the reducing salt and the like in the discharging process.
Preferably, the pH of the solution in which the reducing salt is dissolved is 7 to 10. The pH is the pH of the initial solution with the reducing salt dissolved; further preferably, the pH is 7 to 8.
Further preferably, the pH of the solution system in which the reducing salt is dissolved is 7 to 7.5.
Preferably, the temperature of the solution in which the reducing salt is dissolved is controlled to 25 to 35 ℃ during the discharging. The temperature of the solution dissolved with the reducing salt is also the temperature of the discharging process.
Further preferably, the temperature of the solution in which the reducing salt is dissolved is controlled to 25 to 30 ℃ during the discharging. The discharge efficiency can be further improved and the discharge effect can be further improved by controlling the discharge temperature to be the optimal discharge temperature.
Preferably, the solution in which the reducing salt is dissolved further contains a conductive material. By adding the conductive material into the solution dissolved with the reducing salt in the discharging process, the discharging effect can be further improved, and the discharging efficiency is improved.
Preferably, the conductive material is at least one of graphite, graphite oxide and conductive polyaniline.
Preferably, the volume fraction of the conductive material in the solution in which the reducing salt is dissolved is 5 to 20%.
Preferably, the waste lithium ion battery is one or more of a waste ternary power battery, a lithium cobaltate battery, a lithium manganate battery and a lithium iron phosphate battery.
Preferably, the residual voltage of the battery pack and the battery unit is not lower than 1V, and preferably 3.8V-3.85V.
Preferably, the time for which the voltage after discharge is lower than 1V is not higher than 14 h. The discharge time of the invention is obviously shorter than that of the existing method, and even so, the invention can ensure better discharge effect.
The invention discloses a preferable new high-efficiency clean discharging method of waste lithium ion batteries, which mainly comprises the following steps:
step 1: disassembling the waste power battery pack into waste lithium ion battery monomers;
step 2: carrying out pressure measurement operation on the waste lithium ion battery monomer obtained in the step 1, and quickly and continuously separating out the battery monomer needing to be discharged by using the conventional equipment to obtain the battery monomer needing to be discharged;
and step 3: putting the battery monomer which is obtained in the step 2 and needs to be subjected to discharge treatment into containers filled with different salt solutions for discharge operation, adjusting physical parameters of the solutions and adding solid conductive powder to enhance the discharge effect;
and 4, step 4: and recording and detecting the residual voltage of the battery in the corresponding solution at different time points until the residual voltage is below 1V, and comparing the time and the discharge effect required by discharging to a safe potential under different salt solutions.
The waste power battery pack in the step 1 is preferably a waste ternary power battery pack.
The battery cell needing discharging in the step 2 is preferably a battery cell with residual voltage higher than 1V.
The salt solution in the step 3 is one or more of sodium sulfide and sodium hydrosulfide solution; the physical parameters of the solution refer to one or more of the temperature, the PH value and the concentration of the solution; the solid powder is one or more of graphite, graphite oxide and conductive polyaniline.
The concentration of the salt solution in the step 3 is 5-20%, the temperature is 25-35 ℃, and the PH value is about 7; the mass fraction of the added solid powder is 5-20%.
The invention aims to provide a novel discharge method for efficiently cleaning waste lithium ion batteries. The anode releases electrons and the cathode obtains electrons by utilizing a simple electrolysis principle, and the solution of reducing salt which is easy to discharge hydroxide radicals is used as a discharge medium to replace the currently mainstream adopted 5-10% NaCl solution, so that the introduction of chloride ions is avoided, and the high-efficiency clean discharge of the waste lithium ion battery can be realized.
Has the advantages that:
1) the discharge operation is carried out before the disassembly of the waste lithium ion battery, so that potential safety hazards brought to subsequent recovery treatment are avoided, the residual voltage of the waste lithium ion battery can be rapidly and safely detected and monitored by adopting the conventional equipment, and the continuous discharge operation is realized without potential safety hazards;
2) the technology for realizing solid-liquid common discharge by mixing the sodium sulfide solution, the sodium sulfide solution and the conductive powder is provided for the first time, so that the use of a main discharge medium NaCl salt solution is avoided, no chloride ions are introduced, the generation of harmful gas chlorine is avoided, the subsequent production is not influenced, and the efficient continuous clean discharge of the waste lithium ion battery can be realized.
3) The solid-liquid synergistic discharge technology of the sodium sulfide solution or the sodium sulfide solution and the conductive powder is adopted to avoid damage to the battery shell in the discharge process of the waste battery, and the leakage of electrolyte and water quality pollution caused by corrosion of other discharge media such as sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride solution to the battery shell are avoided.
4) The method is suitable for continuous operation, does not produce secondary pollution, has environmental protection and economic benefit, has simple process and low production cost, and is suitable for large-scale industrial production.
5) By adopting the method, the technical defect that the existing method can not completely discharge is overcome, and the residual voltage after discharge treatment can be reduced to 0V;
6) the invention obviously shortens the discharge time, and the time for discharging to 0V can be shortened to 6 h.
Example 4
The method comprises the steps of adopting automatic disassembling equipment to disassemble a waste power battery pack into single batteries, then continuously adopting the existing waste battery residual voltage detection equipment to detect the residual voltage of each single battery, separating the single batteries with the residual voltage higher than 1V, and entering a discharging process. 5 groups of battery monomers with residual voltage of 3.8V-3.85V are soaked in 10 percent Na2And (3) in an open container of the S solution, adjusting the pH value of the solution to 7-7.5, controlling the temperature to be 30 ℃, then adding 10 (volume)% of conductive polyaniline powder, stirring until the mixture is uniformly mixed, measuring the residual voltage of 5 groups of batteries every 1 hour, and recording until the discharge is complete. At this time, the residual voltage of the waste battery is reduced to 0V after soaking for 4.5 h. The discharge efficiency of the waste battery can be further accelerated by adopting a solid-liquid combined discharge mode.
Comparative example 1
This comparative example discusses the use of Na2SO3Replacing said Na2S, specifically comprising the following steps:
the method comprises the steps of adopting automatic disassembling equipment to disassemble a waste power battery pack into single batteries, then continuously adopting the existing waste battery residual voltage detection equipment to detect the residual voltage of each single battery, separating the single batteries with the residual voltage higher than 1V, and entering a discharging process. 5 groups of battery monomers with residual voltage of 3.8V-3.85V are soaked in an open container filled with 5% Na2SO3 solution, the pH value of the solution is adjusted to 7-7.5, the temperature is 25 ℃, the residual voltage of the 5 groups of batteries is measured every 1 hour and recorded until the discharge is complete. At this time, the residual voltage of the waste battery after soaking for 24 hours is 1.4V.
Comparative example 2
This comparative example discusses the use of Na2SO3Replacing said Na2S, and discharging at 30 ℃, specifically as follows:
the method comprises the steps of adopting automatic disassembling equipment to disassemble a waste power battery pack into single batteries, then continuously adopting the existing waste battery residual voltage detection equipment to detect the residual voltage of each single battery, separating the single batteries with the residual voltage higher than 1V, and entering a discharging process. 5 groups of battery monomers with residual voltage of 3.8V-3.85V are soaked in an open container filled with 5% Na2SO3 solution, the pH value of the solution is adjusted to 7-7.5, the temperature is 30 ℃, the residual voltage of the 5 groups of batteries is measured every 1 hour and recorded until the discharge is complete. At this time, the residual voltage of the waste battery after soaking for 24 hours is 1.25V.
Comparative example 3
This comparative example discusses the use of Na2SO3Replacing said Na2S, and discharges at 10% concentration, as follows:
the method comprises the steps of adopting automatic disassembling equipment to disassemble a waste power battery pack into single batteries, then continuously adopting the existing waste battery residual voltage detection equipment to detect the residual voltage of each single battery, separating the single batteries with the residual voltage higher than 1V, and entering a discharging process. 5 groups of battery monomers with residual voltage of 3.8V-3.85V are soaked in an open container filled with 10% Na2SO3 solution, the pH value of the solution is adjusted to 7-7.5, the temperature is 30 ℃, the residual voltage of 5 groups of batteries is measured every 1 hour and 7 is recorded until the discharge is complete. At this time, the residual voltage of the waste battery after soaking for 24 hours is 1.1V.
Comparative example 4
This comparative example discusses, using conventional NaCl discharge, as follows:
the method comprises the steps of adopting automatic disassembling equipment to disassemble a waste power battery pack into single batteries, then continuously adopting the existing waste battery residual voltage detection equipment to detect the residual voltage of each single battery, separating the single batteries with the residual voltage higher than 1V, and entering a discharging process. 5 groups of battery monomers with residual voltage of 3.8V-3.85V are soaked in an open container filled with 5% NaCl solution, the PH value of the solution is adjusted to 7-7.5, the temperature is 30 ℃, the residual voltage of the 5 groups of batteries is measured every 1 hour and recorded until the discharge is complete. At this time, the residual voltage of the waste battery after soaking for 24 hours is 0.7V.
Comparative example 5
Blank control:
the method comprises the steps of adopting automatic disassembling equipment to disassemble a waste power battery pack into single batteries, then continuously adopting the existing waste battery residual voltage detection equipment to detect the residual voltage of each single battery, separating the single batteries with the residual voltage higher than 1V, and entering a discharging process. 5 groups of battery monomers with residual voltage of 3.8V-3.85V are soaked in an open container filled with pure water, the pH value of the solution is adjusted to 7-7.5, the temperature is 30 ℃, the residual voltage of the 5 groups of batteries is measured every 1 hour and recorded until the discharge is complete. At this time, the residual voltage of the waste battery after being soaked for 24 hours is 3.8 +/-0.3V.