EP4355921A1 - Battery recycling - Google Patents
Battery recyclingInfo
- Publication number
- EP4355921A1 EP4355921A1 EP22740443.1A EP22740443A EP4355921A1 EP 4355921 A1 EP4355921 A1 EP 4355921A1 EP 22740443 A EP22740443 A EP 22740443A EP 4355921 A1 EP4355921 A1 EP 4355921A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- battery material
- fraction
- single fraction
- magnetic
- comminuted
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 238000004064 recycling Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 13
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 99
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 44
- 229910001416 lithium ion Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 35
- HBBGRARXTFLTSG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Lithium ion Chemical compound [Li+] HBBGRARXTFLTSG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 33
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 29
- 238000007885 magnetic separation Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 21
- 239000012212 insulator Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 230000005291 magnetic effect Effects 0.000 claims description 13
- 239000003792 electrolyte Substances 0.000 claims description 11
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N Alumina Chemical compound [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000010405 anode material Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000010406 cathode material Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910002102 lithium manganese oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 6
- VLXXBCXTUVRROQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N lithium;oxido-oxo-(oxomanganiooxy)manganese Chemical compound [Li+].[O-][Mn](=O)O[Mn]=O VLXXBCXTUVRROQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000007873 sieving Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- GELKBWJHTRAYNV-UHFFFAOYSA-K lithium iron phosphate Chemical compound [Li+].[Fe+2].[O-]P([O-])([O-])=O GELKBWJHTRAYNV-UHFFFAOYSA-K 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000007921 spray Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 claims 2
- PFYQFCKUASLJLL-UHFFFAOYSA-N [Co].[Ni].[Li] Chemical compound [Co].[Ni].[Li] PFYQFCKUASLJLL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 1
- VGYDTVNNDKLMHX-UHFFFAOYSA-N lithium;manganese;nickel;oxocobalt Chemical compound [Li].[Mn].[Ni].[Co]=O VGYDTVNNDKLMHX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 1
- 229910001317 nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) Inorganic materials 0.000 claims 1
- 239000000696 magnetic material Substances 0.000 description 9
- RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Titanium Chemical compound [Ti] RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 8
- 239000010936 titanium Substances 0.000 description 7
- 229910052719 titanium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 7
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 description 6
- WHXSMMKQMYFTQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Lithium Chemical compound [Li] WHXSMMKQMYFTQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 229910052744 lithium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 239000010439 graphite Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229910002804 graphite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000003801 milling Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 230000006641 stabilisation Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000003068 static effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- -1 LTO Chemical compound 0.000 description 2
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000005030 aluminium foil Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000011889 copper foil Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 231100001261 hazardous Toxicity 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005065 mining Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 241000876833 Emberizinae Species 0.000 description 1
- 239000002033 PVDF binder Substances 0.000 description 1
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- ATJFFYVFTNAWJD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Tin Chemical compound [Sn] ATJFFYVFTNAWJD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- SOXUFMZTHZXOGC-UHFFFAOYSA-N [Li].[Mn].[Co].[Ni] Chemical compound [Li].[Mn].[Co].[Ni] SOXUFMZTHZXOGC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000006229 carbon black Substances 0.000 description 1
- 231100000481 chemical toxicant Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 229910017052 cobalt Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010941 cobalt Substances 0.000 description 1
- GUTLYIVDDKVIGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N cobalt atom Chemical compound [Co] GUTLYIVDDKVIGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000032798 delamination Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002939 deleterious effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- QHGJSLXSVXVKHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N dilithium;dioxido(dioxo)manganese Chemical compound [Li+].[Li+].[O-][Mn]([O-])(=O)=O QHGJSLXSVXVKHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000004090 dissolution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000428 dust Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007772 electrode material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003912 environmental pollution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000002474 experimental method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004880 explosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005294 ferromagnetic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007770 graphite material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910001385 heavy metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000009854 hydrometallurgy Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 231100001231 less toxic Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- RSNHXDVSISOZOB-UHFFFAOYSA-N lithium nickel Chemical compound [Li].[Ni] RSNHXDVSISOZOB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910044991 metal oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000004706 metal oxides Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- JTJMJGYZQZDUJJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N phencyclidine Chemical class C1CCCCN1C1(C=2C=CC=CC=2)CCCCC1 JTJMJGYZQZDUJJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229920002981 polyvinylidene fluoride Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000001556 precipitation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009853 pyrometallurgy Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052761 rare earth metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000002910 rare earth metals Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000377 silicon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002689 soil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012358 sourcing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052596 spinel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000011029 spinel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000013501 sustainable material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003786 synthesis reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009997 thermal pre-treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 231100000331 toxic Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 230000002588 toxic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003440 toxic substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003911 water pollution Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- C22B7/00—Working up raw materials other than ores, e.g. scrap, to produce non-ferrous metals and compounds thereof; Methods of a general interest or applied to the winning of more than two metals
- C22B7/005—Separation by a physical processing technique only, e.g. by mechanical breaking
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C1/00—Magnetic separation
- B03C1/02—Magnetic separation acting directly on the substance being separated
- B03C1/10—Magnetic separation acting directly on the substance being separated with cylindrical material carriers
- B03C1/14—Magnetic separation acting directly on the substance being separated with cylindrical material carriers with non-movable magnets
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C1/00—Magnetic separation
- B03C1/02—Magnetic separation acting directly on the substance being separated
- B03C1/16—Magnetic separation acting directly on the substance being separated with material carriers in the form of belts
- B03C1/22—Magnetic separation acting directly on the substance being separated with material carriers in the form of belts with non-movable magnets
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C3/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapour, e.g. air, by electrostatic effect
- B03C3/02—Plant or installations having external electricity supply
- B03C3/04—Plant or installations having external electricity supply dry type
- B03C3/10—Plant or installations having external electricity supply dry type characterised by presence of electrodes moving during separating action
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C3/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapour, e.g. air, by electrostatic effect
- B03C3/34—Constructional details or accessories or operation thereof
- B03C3/40—Electrode constructions
- B03C3/41—Ionising-electrodes
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C3/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapour, e.g. air, by electrostatic effect
- B03C3/34—Constructional details or accessories or operation thereof
- B03C3/40—Electrode constructions
- B03C3/45—Collecting-electrodes
- B03C3/49—Collecting-electrodes tubular
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C3/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapour, e.g. air, by electrostatic effect
- B03C3/34—Constructional details or accessories or operation thereof
- B03C3/74—Cleaning the electrodes
- B03C3/743—Cleaning the electrodes by using friction, e.g. by brushes or sliding elements
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
- B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
- B02C23/00—Auxiliary methods or auxiliary devices or accessories specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating not provided for in preceding groups or not specially adapted to apparatus covered by a single preceding group
- B02C23/08—Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03C2201/00—Details of magnetic or electrostatic separation
- B03C2201/20—Magnetic separation of bulk or dry particles in mixtures
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to battery recycling. More specifically, although not exclusively, this invention relates to the recycling of lithium-ion battery materials.
- Lithium ion batteries are widely used to power many portable electronics and electric vehicles. However, this type of battery has a finite lifetime and requires replacement after a certain period. The waste generated by lithium-ion batteries represents a significant problem for the environment if it is not recycled because lithium-ion batteries contain a number of heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Therefore, disposal in landfill may be hazardous to the environment, causing soil contamination and water pollution. In addition, there is an environmental cost to sourcing the materials required to produce lithium-ion batteries. There are also ethical concerns surrounding the mining of essential elements for use in the fabrication of lithium-ion batteries including lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Consequently, there are many benefits to recycling and re-using these battery materials including decreased environmental pollution, reduced demand on landfill, lessened demand on finite resources and decreased environmental and human costs in relation to mining virgin resources.
- lithium-ion batteries are formed from four essential components: anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte which complete the electrochemical cell.
- anode In order to safely package the four principal operative components it is also necessary to have a casing in which they are held.
- various component layers may be provided (e.g. aluminium foil - cathode current collector, copper foil as the anode current collector).
- aluminium foil - cathode current collector copper foil as the anode current collector.
- Stabilisation is required before opening cells to prevent thermal runaway and product loss through fire. Thermal runaway is undesirable because this may lead to the synthesis and release of hot, toxic, and corrosive chemicals, and the loss of potentially retrievable components, such as electrolyte and plastic, to combustion. Stabilisation methods may include ohmic discharge, solution discharge, thermal pre-treatment, heat, electrolyte extraction.
- Separation methods may be used to separate the components of the cell.
- the products of separation are plastics, separator and pouch materials, metal, steel casing, Ni and Al tabs, Cu and Al current collectors, and a “black mass” (a powdery fraction formed from crushing cells containing the electrodes or from crushing the electrodes).
- Comminution is required to disassemble the cell and to access the components.
- Commonly used methods include shredding, milling, and/or high sheer mixing.
- Size separation may be achieved through sieves, filters, cyclones, Magnetic separation is primarily used to remove steel casing material but can also be used to separate ferromagnetic electrode materials. Density separation is used to separate out the low density plastics and papers or high density metal casings from the mixed cell waste. This can be achieved using shaker tables, vibrating screens, a fluid of intermediate density, or air separation. Other separation methods include froth floatation, which exploits the difference in hydrophobicity between two materials, and electrostatic separation.
- the black mass typically contains materials from the negative and positive electrodes; graphite, PVDF, carbon black, metal oxides, and some Al and Cu current collectors.
- the black mass is reclaimed for further processing such as metal dissolution and precipitation.
- a first aspect of the invention provides a method in accordance with Claim 1.
- a second aspect of the invention provides a method for recycling batteries, for example lithium ion battery material, the method comprising the following steps: i. comminution of battery material, e.g. lithium ion battery material, to produce a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm; ii. separating the pieces using magnetic separation.
- battery material e.g. lithium ion battery material
- a third aspect of the invention provides apparatus in accordance with Claim 20.
- magnetic separation of a single fraction of lithium-ion battery material wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% (e.g. >96 wt.%, or >97 wt.%, or >98 wt.%, or >99 wt.%, or 100 wt.%) of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm, supports high rates of electrode recovery. This is in comparison to magnetic separation of a single fraction of lithium ion battery material wherein >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of greater than 4.0mm, for example, from 4.0mm to 8.0mm.
- the method and apparatus comprises comminution of battery material to produce a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% (e.g. >96 wt.%, or >97 wt.%, or >98 wt.%, or >99 wt.%, or 100 wt.%) of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of 1.0mm to 4.0mm. In embodiments, the pieces may have a maximum dimension in the range of any one of 1.0, 1.1 , 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7,
- the method comprises comminution of battery material to produce a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% (e.g.
- the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of 2.0mm to 4.0mm, for example, 2.8mm to 4.0mm.
- the electrostatic separation step separates insulators from non insulating (conducting) materials.
- insulating materials may include the separator, parts of the pouch (for pouch cells) and so on.
- the use of electrostatic separation especially with a suitable size range material, has been shown to reduce the production of fines which is beneficial from a handling perspective, and may lead to benefits insofar as a reduction of fines limits potential human exposure to deleterious materials.
- the succeeding magnetic separation stage separates magnetic and non-magnetic materials.
- the magnetic separation stage will separate the cathode materials (e.g. NCA, LMO, NMC, LFP) from the anode materials (e.g. graphite, LTO, silica etc).
- Batteries typically comprise current collectors.
- a lithium ion battery it is usual to have a copper foil as the anode current collector and a aluminium foil as the cathode current collector.
- the anode current collector may also be aluminium.
- the anode current collect and the cathode current collector pieces will be separated by the magnetic separation stage (with the anode/cathode materials). This allows for the subsequent step of removing the current collector pieces from the respective anode and cathode streams.
- the method and apparatus provides a final stage of separating current collector materials from active (electrode) materials.
- Final stage separation may be achieved by ultrasonic delamination (see Green Chemistry (2021), 23, 4710-4715, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference).
- comminution of lithium ion battery material may be performed in a stabilised atmosphere, for example, an atmosphere that is substantially free from oxygen.
- comminution of battery material e.g. lithium ion battery material
- comminution of battery material may be performed under a high flowrate of air, e.g. using a cyclone air mover.
- comminution of battery material for example lithium ion battery material
- comminution of battery material, for example lithium ion battery material may be performed in a temperature controlled environment.
- the temperature may be controlled to limit the build-up of heat.
- comminution of lithium ion battery material comprises shredding the battery material.
- shredding the battery material may be performed using a low speed high torque shredder, for example comprising interdigitated blades or knives.
- a low speed high torque shredder for example comprising interdigitated blades or knives.
- the use of low-speed, high-torque shredders can reduce dust and noise generation whilst reducing knife and drive component wear.
- comminution of battery material comprises one or more of granulating, milling, and/or high sheer mixing.
- milling may be performed using a hammer mill.
- step i. of the method may be performed in ambient and/or dry conditions.
- the method may comprise a single comminution step.
- the method may comprise a single comminution of lithium ion battery material to produce a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm.
- Step i. of the method may be performed in one step, i.e. a single pass through apparatus to cause comminution.
- the method may comprise multiple comminution steps.
- the method may comprise passing material through comminution apparatus multiple times to achieve a or the desired size range of materials.
- a first pass may be deployed and a portion of the material emerging from the first pass (e.g. the larger size fraction), may be subjected to a second pass.
- Size separation for example, sieving
- Size separation may be used to separate the desired, smaller, fraction from the less desired, larger fraction, and the larger fraction may be subjected to a further comminution step.
- the method further comprises step iv. removal of the electrolyte after step i.
- the pieces of comminuted battery material e.g. lithium ion battery material
- removal of the electrolyte renders the material less hazardous. The resulting material is less toxic and less likely to catch fire or cause an explosion.
- Step ii. of the method may be performed in dry conditions. This may be achieved by removing the electrolyte to provide dry material. It has been surprisingly found that magnetic separation under dry conditions is more efficient and provides a higher recovery in comparison to conditions wherein the electrolyte has not been removed.
- the method may further comprise sieving the comminuted battery material, e.g. the comminuted lithium ion battery material, of step i, e.g. to remove fine powders.
- sieving the comminuted battery material, e.g. the comminuted lithium ion battery material, of step i. may be performed after step i. and before step ii. separating the pieces using magnetic separation.
- the battery material may comprise pouch cell material, e.g. whole pouch cells.
- the battery material may comprise prismatic cell material, e.g. whole prismatic cells.
- the battery material may comprise cylindrical cell material, e.g. whole cylindrical cells.
- the battery material may comprise lithium nickel cobalt aluminium oxides (NCA).
- the battery material may comprise lithium manganese oxide (LMO).
- the battery material may comprise LMO-NCA.
- the battery material may comprise or consist of LMO-NCA pouch cell material.
- the anode may comprise graphite material.
- the battery material may comprise different cathode and/or anode material.
- Cathode materials may be selected from Lithium Cobait Oxide for Lithium Cobaitate), Lithium Manganese Oxide (also known as spinel or Lithium Manganate), Lithium Iron Phosphate, as well as Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (or NMC), Lithium Nickel Cobait Aluminium Oxide (or NCA) or mixtures.
- Anode materials may be selected from graphite, lithium titanate, silicon and tin and/or mixtures of two or more thereof.
- Figure 1 is an apparatus for use in electrostatic separation for use in a method according to embodiments of the invention.
- Figure 2 is an apparatus for use in magnetic separation for use in a method according to embodiments of the invention.
- lithium ion battery material was comminuted and dried to create a feed F of small particles where ca 90% of particles had a size in the range of 2.8 to 4 mm. This was performed in a slow speed high torque shredder having two shafts driven by a 4kW motor (sold under the trade mark U5 by Ulster Shredders Limited of Magherafelt, UK). Comminution was carried out at ambient temperatures. In an experiment using pouch cells (LMO-NCA cathodes) each cell was processed in less than 90 seconds.
- larger fractions from the first pass were passed through the shredder one or more times to achieve a required size range.
- the material may sieved to achieve a feed F of the required size range.
- FIG. 1 there is shown an apparatus 1 for use in electrostatic separation for use in a method according to the invention.
- the apparatus 1 comprises a feed hopper 10, a vibratory feeder 11, an ionising electrode 12, an optional static electrode 13, an earthed titanium roll 14, and a brush 15.
- the feed F is fed into the feed hopper 10.
- the feed hopper 10 transfers the feed F onto the vibratory feeder 11, which in turn transfers the feed F onto the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14.
- the ionising electrode 12 causes the feed material F to become charged according to its conductive or dielectric characteristics as the earthed titanium roll 14 turns, for example in a clockwise direction.
- the conductive material C passes it’s charge onto the earthed roll, and is collected under the influence of the optional static electrode 13, or falls from the roll under the effect of gravity.
- the insulative material J remains attracted to the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14, and is removed from the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14 by the brush 15, which is in contact with the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14.
- the optional middling material M (which may result from materials being adhered together) remains attracted to the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14 for slightly longer than the conductive material C, but for less time than insulative material J. Consequently, the feed F is separated into three fractions: the conductive material C, the insulative material J, and the middling material M.
- the apparatus 2 comprises a feed hopper 20, a vibratory feed 21, a magnetic roll 22, a rubber pulley belt 23, and a second pulley roll 24.
- the magnetic roll 22 may be a 300mm rare-earth permanent magnetic roll (e.g. a laboratory scale machine made by Bunting Magnetics Europe Limited of Berkhamstead UK).
- the feed F’ which is the conductive fraction separated in the electrostatic separation stage, is fed into the feed hopper 20 and subsequently into the vibratory feed 21.
- the feed F’ is then transferred to the rubber pulley belt 23, which moves by rotation of the drive roll 24 at a first end, and the unpowered magnetic roll 22 at a second end of the rubber pulley belt 23.
- the magnetic material MF remains attracted to the magnetic roll 22 whereas the non-magnetic material NF is not attracted to the magnetic roll 22. Consequently, the feed F is separated into three fractions: the magnetic material MF, the non-magnetic material NF, and the middling materiel P.
- the magnetic material MF comprises magnetic cathode material MC
- the non-magnetic material NF comprises non-magnetic anode material A.
- the following Examples relate to the grade and recovery of an LMO-NCA pouch cell battery.
- material was comminuted to provide the following material to determine the efficiency of recovery of materials having different size ranges.
- the results were obtained using optical sorting and a mass balance.
- electrostatic/magnetic separation of a single fraction of lithium ion battery material wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm, provides a cathode recovery of above 85% and an anode recovery of above 80%.
- This is in comparison to magnetic separation of a single fraction of lithium ion battery material wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of greater than 4.0mm, for example, from 4.0mm to 8.0mm.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)
Abstract
A method of recycling lithium ion battery material which comprises the following steps: • comminution of lithium ion battery material to generate comminuted battery material and producing a single fraction comprising pieces of battery material; subjecting the single fraction to electrostatic separation to remove insulators and provide a conductive fraction; separating the conductive fraction using magnetic separation.
Description
Att. Ref.: P308706WO
BATTERY RECYCLING
This invention relates generally to battery recycling. More specifically, although not exclusively, this invention relates to the recycling of lithium-ion battery materials.
Lithium ion batteries are widely used to power many portable electronics and electric vehicles. However, this type of battery has a finite lifetime and requires replacement after a certain period. The waste generated by lithium-ion batteries represents a significant problem for the environment if it is not recycled because lithium-ion batteries contain a number of heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Therefore, disposal in landfill may be hazardous to the environment, causing soil contamination and water pollution. In addition, there is an environmental cost to sourcing the materials required to produce lithium-ion batteries. There are also ethical concerns surrounding the mining of essential elements for use in the fabrication of lithium-ion batteries including lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Consequently, there are many benefits to recycling and re-using these battery materials including decreased environmental pollution, reduced demand on landfill, lessened demand on finite resources and decreased environmental and human costs in relation to mining virgin resources.
In general, lithium-ion batteries are formed from four essential components: anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte which complete the electrochemical cell. However, in order to safely package the four principal operative components it is also necessary to have a casing in which they are held. Further, various component layers may be provided (e.g. aluminium foil - cathode current collector, copper foil as the anode current collector). It will also be understood that different cathode and anode materials may be deployed, as well as different separators and electrolytes. As such, there is a recognised challenge in the recycling of lithium-ion cells.
Although different organisations have developed different methods for recycling, the, some or all of the steps involved may be generalised into the following categories: stabilisation, comminution, size separation, density separation, magnetic separation, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, and other steps (R. Sommerville et ai\ Sustainable Materials and Technologies 25 (2020) e00197).
Stabilisation is required before opening cells to prevent thermal runaway and product loss through fire. Thermal runaway is undesirable because this may lead to the synthesis and
release of hot, toxic, and corrosive chemicals, and the loss of potentially retrievable components, such as electrolyte and plastic, to combustion. Stabilisation methods may include ohmic discharge, solution discharge, thermal pre-treatment, heat, electrolyte extraction.
Separation methods may be used to separate the components of the cell. The products of separation are plastics, separator and pouch materials, metal, steel casing, Ni and Al tabs, Cu and Al current collectors, and a “black mass” (a powdery fraction formed from crushing cells containing the electrodes or from crushing the electrodes).
Comminution is required to disassemble the cell and to access the components. Commonly used methods include shredding, milling, and/or high sheer mixing.
Size separation may be achieved through sieves, filters, cyclones, Magnetic separation is primarily used to remove steel casing material but can also be used to separate ferromagnetic electrode materials. Density separation is used to separate out the low density plastics and papers or high density metal casings from the mixed cell waste. This can be achieved using shaker tables, vibrating screens, a fluid of intermediate density, or air separation. Other separation methods include froth floatation, which exploits the difference in hydrophobicity between two materials, and electrostatic separation.
The black mass typically contains materials from the negative and positive electrodes; graphite, PVDF, carbon black, metal oxides, and some Al and Cu current collectors. The black mass is reclaimed for further processing such as metal dissolution and precipitation.
It has been reported that approximately 95% of Li-ion batteries ended up in landfill sites rather than being recycled (Heelan, J. et al. JOM 68, 2632-2638 (2016)). In 2019, only 5% of lithium-ion batteries were recycled in the European Union (Nature Energy 4 (2019) 253- 253). There is a clear need for more efficient and accessible recycling methods for lithium- ion battery recycling.
Accordingly, a first aspect of the invention provides a method in accordance with Claim 1.
A second aspect of the invention provides a method for recycling batteries, for example lithium ion battery material, the method comprising the following steps:
i. comminution of battery material, e.g. lithium ion battery material, to produce a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm; ii. separating the pieces using magnetic separation.
A third aspect of the invention provides apparatus in accordance with Claim 20.
It has been surprisingly found that magnetic separation of a single fraction of lithium-ion battery material, wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% (e.g. >96 wt.%, or >97 wt.%, or >98 wt.%, or >99 wt.%, or 100 wt.%) of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm, supports high rates of electrode recovery. This is in comparison to magnetic separation of a single fraction of lithium ion battery material wherein >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of greater than 4.0mm, for example, from 4.0mm to 8.0mm.
In embodiments, the method and apparatus comprises comminution of battery material to produce a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% (e.g. >96 wt.%, or >97 wt.%, or >98 wt.%, or >99 wt.%, or 100 wt.%) of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of 1.0mm to 4.0mm. In embodiments, the pieces may have a maximum dimension in the range of any one of 1.0, 1.1 , 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7,
1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7,
3.8, or 3.9 mm to any one of 4.0, 3.9, 3.8, 3.7, 3.6, 3.5, 3.4, 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, 3.0, 2.9, 2.8, 2.7, 2.6, 2.5, 2.4, 2.3, 2.2, 2.1 , 2.0, 1.9, 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 1.5, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, or 1.1 mm. In embodiments, the method comprises comminution of battery material to produce a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% (e.g. >96 wt.%, or >97 wt.%, or >98 wt.%, or >99 wt.%, or 100 wt.%) of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of 2.0mm to 4.0mm, for example, 2.8mm to 4.0mm.
As will be appreciated, the electrostatic separation step separates insulators from non insulating (conducting) materials. In the context of batteries, insulating materials may include the separator, parts of the pouch (for pouch cells) and so on.
Advantageously, the use of electrostatic separation, especially with a suitable size range material, has been shown to reduce the production of fines which is beneficial from a
handling perspective, and may lead to benefits insofar as a reduction of fines limits potential human exposure to deleterious materials.
For example, previously deployed pneumatic density separation techniques may increase the amount of fines generated. In contrast, in our comminution steps we seek to provide a minimum particle size of 0.5mm, preferably 1mm, which we have found limits fine generation.
The succeeding magnetic separation stage separates magnetic and non-magnetic materials. In the context of batteries, the magnetic separation stage will separate the cathode materials (e.g. NCA, LMO, NMC, LFP) from the anode materials (e.g. graphite, LTO, silica etc).
Batteries typically comprise current collectors. In a lithium ion battery it is usual to have a copper foil as the anode current collector and a aluminium foil as the cathode current collector. In some cells (e.g. LTO cells) the anode current collector may also be aluminium. Beneficially, the anode current collect and the cathode current collector pieces will be separated by the magnetic separation stage (with the anode/cathode materials). This allows for the subsequent step of removing the current collector pieces from the respective anode and cathode streams.
Accordingly, the method and apparatus provides a final stage of separating current collector materials from active (electrode) materials. Final stage separation may be achieved by ultrasonic delamination (see Green Chemistry (2021), 23, 4710-4715, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference).
In embodiments, comminution of lithium ion battery material may be performed in a stabilised atmosphere, for example, an atmosphere that is substantially free from oxygen. In embodiments, comminution of battery material, e.g. lithium ion battery material, may be performed under a high flowrate of air, e.g. using a cyclone air mover. Additionally or alternatively, comminution of battery material, for example lithium ion battery material, may be performed under a water spray.
In embodiments, comminution of battery material, for example lithium ion battery material, may be performed in a temperature controlled environment. Advantageously, the temperature may be controlled to limit the build-up of heat. In embodiments, comminution of lithium ion battery material comprises shredding the battery material. In embodiments, shredding the battery material may be performed using a low speed high torque shredder, for example comprising interdigitated blades or knives. Advantageously the use of low-speed, high-torque shredders can reduce dust and noise generation whilst reducing knife and drive component wear.
In embodiments, comminution of battery material, e.g. lithium ion battery material, comprises one or more of granulating, milling, and/or high sheer mixing. In embodiments, milling may be performed using a hammer mill. In embodiments, step i. of the method may be performed in ambient and/or dry conditions.
In embodiments, the method may comprise a single comminution step. In embodiments, the method may comprise a single comminution of lithium ion battery material to produce a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm. Step i. of the method may be performed in one step, i.e. a single pass through apparatus to cause comminution.
Alternatively, the method may comprise multiple comminution steps. For example the method may comprise passing material through comminution apparatus multiple times to achieve a or the desired size range of materials. For example, a first pass may be deployed and a portion of the material emerging from the first pass (e.g. the larger size fraction), may be subjected to a second pass. Size separation (for example, sieving) may be used to separate the desired, smaller, fraction from the less desired, larger fraction, and the larger fraction may be subjected to a further comminution step.
The method further comprises step iv. removal of the electrolyte after step i. The pieces of comminuted battery material, e.g. lithium ion battery material, will comprise the components of a battery, e.g. lithium ion battery, including the electrolyte. Advantageously, removal of
the electrolyte renders the material less hazardous. The resulting material is less toxic and less likely to catch fire or cause an explosion.
Step ii. of the method may be performed in dry conditions. This may be achieved by removing the electrolyte to provide dry material. It has been surprisingly found that magnetic separation under dry conditions is more efficient and provides a higher recovery in comparison to conditions wherein the electrolyte has not been removed.
In embodiments, the method may further comprise sieving the comminuted battery material, e.g. the comminuted lithium ion battery material, of step i, e.g. to remove fine powders. In embodiments, sieving the comminuted battery material, e.g. the comminuted lithium ion battery material, of step i. may be performed after step i. and before step ii. separating the pieces using magnetic separation.
The battery material may comprise pouch cell material, e.g. whole pouch cells. The battery material may comprise prismatic cell material, e.g. whole prismatic cells. The battery material may comprise cylindrical cell material, e.g. whole cylindrical cells.
The battery material may comprise lithium nickel cobalt aluminium oxides (NCA). In embodiments, the battery material may comprise lithium manganese oxide (LMO). The battery material may comprise LMO-NCA. The battery material may comprise or consist of LMO-NCA pouch cell material.
The anode may comprise graphite material.
The battery material may comprise different cathode and/or anode material. Cathode materials may be selected from Lithium Cobait Oxide for Lithium Cobaitate), Lithium Manganese Oxide (also known as spinel or Lithium Manganate), Lithium Iron Phosphate, as well as Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (or NMC), Lithium Nickel Cobait Aluminium Oxide (or NCA) or mixtures. Anode materials may be selected from graphite, lithium titanate, silicon and tin and/or mixtures of two or more thereof.
Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features
thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms “may”, “and/or”, “e.g.”, “for example” and any similar term as used herein should be interpreted as non-limiting such that any feature so-described need not be present. Indeed, any combination of optional features is expressly envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention, whether or not these are expressly claimed. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an apparatus for use in electrostatic separation for use in a method according to embodiments of the invention; and
Figure 2 is an apparatus for use in magnetic separation for use in a method according to embodiments of the invention.
In a first step lithium ion battery material was comminuted and dried to create a feed F of small particles where ca 90% of particles had a size in the range of 2.8 to 4 mm. This was performed in a slow speed high torque shredder having two shafts driven by a 4kW motor (sold under the trade mark U5 by Ulster Shredders Limited of Magherafelt, UK). Comminution was carried out at ambient temperatures. In an experiment using pouch cells (LMO-NCA cathodes) each cell was processed in less than 90 seconds.
In some embodiments, larger fractions from the first pass were passed through the shredder one or more times to achieve a required size range.
The material may sieved to achieve a feed F of the required size range.
Referring now to Figure 1 , there is shown an apparatus 1 for use in electrostatic separation for use in a method according to the invention. The apparatus 1 comprises a feed hopper 10, a vibratory feeder 11, an ionising electrode 12, an optional static electrode 13, an earthed titanium roll 14, and a brush 15.
There is also shown a sample of the shredded cell feed F, the conductive material C, the insulative material J, and the optional middling material M that has been separated by the electrostatic separation apparatus 1.
In use, the feed F is fed into the feed hopper 10. The feed hopper 10 transfers the feed F onto the vibratory feeder 11, which in turn transfers the feed F onto the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14. The ionising electrode 12 causes the feed material F to become charged according to its conductive or dielectric characteristics as the earthed titanium roll 14 turns, for example in a clockwise direction. The conductive material C passes it’s charge onto the earthed roll, and is collected under the influence of the optional static electrode 13, or falls from the roll under the effect of gravity. The insulative material J remains attracted to the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14, and is removed from the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14 by the brush 15, which is in contact with the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14. The optional middling material M (which may result from materials being adhered together) remains attracted to the surface of the earthed titanium roll 14 for slightly longer than the conductive material C, but for less time than insulative material J. Consequently, the feed F is separated into three fractions: the conductive material C, the insulative material J, and the middling material M.
Example 1
10g of feed F having a maximum dimension of 2.8mm to 4mm is fed into the electrostatic separation apparatus 1. The electrodes of the electrostatic separation apparatus 1 had the following characteristics: 18 KeV, No static electrode, 50 RPM on the earthed roll. Electrostatic separation yielded the following results.
Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown an apparatus 2 for use in magnetic separation of a feed according to the invention. The apparatus 2 comprises a feed hopper 20, a vibratory feed 21, a magnetic roll 22, a rubber pulley belt 23, and a second pulley roll 24. The magnetic roll 22 may be a 300mm rare-earth permanent magnetic roll (e.g. a laboratory scale machine made by Bunting Magnetics Europe Limited of Berkhamstead UK).
There is also shown a sample of the shredded cell feed F’, the magnetic material MF, the non-magnetic material NF, and the middling material P that has been separated using the magnetic separation apparatus 2.
In use, the feed F’ which is the conductive fraction separated in the electrostatic separation stage, is fed into the feed hopper 20 and subsequently into the vibratory feed 21. The feed F’ is then transferred to the rubber pulley belt 23, which moves by rotation of the drive roll 24 at a first end, and the unpowered magnetic roll 22 at a second end of the rubber pulley belt 23. Under the influence of the magnetic roll 22, the magnetic material MF remains attracted to the magnetic roll 22 whereas the non-magnetic material NF is not attracted to the magnetic roll 22. Consequently, the feed F is separated into three fractions: the magnetic material MF, the non-magnetic material NF, and the middling materiel P. The magnetic material MF comprises magnetic cathode material MC, and the non-magnetic material NF comprises non-magnetic anode material A.
Example 2
Two samples of feed F’ having a maximum dimension of 2.8mm to 4mm was fed into the magnetic separation apparatus 2. Magnetic separation yielded the following results.
Example 3
The following Examples relate to the grade and recovery of an LMO-NCA pouch cell battery. In this case material was comminuted to provide the following material to determine the efficiency of recovery of materials having different size ranges. The results were obtained using optical sorting and a mass balance.
It has been surprisingly shown that electrostatic/magnetic separation of a single fraction of lithium ion battery material, wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm, provides a cathode recovery of above 85% and an anode recovery of above 80%. This is in comparison to magnetic separation of a single fraction of lithium ion battery material wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of greater than 4.0mm, for example, from 4.0mm to 8.0mm.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any number of combinations of the aforementioned features and/or those shown in the appended drawings provide clear advantages over the prior art and are therefore within the scope of the invention described herein.
Claims
1. A method of recycling lithium ion battery material, the method comprising the following steps:
• comminution of lithium ion battery material to generate comminuted battery material and producing a single fraction comprising pieces of battery material and wherein preferably >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces of battery material have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm;
• subjecting the single fraction to electrostatic separation to remove insulators and provide a conductive fraction;
• separating the conductive fraction using magnetic separation.
2. The method according to Claim 1, comprising producing a single fraction wherein >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm, preferably in the range of from 1.0 to 4.0, say from 2.8 to 4.0mm.
3. The method according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein comminution of lithium ion battery material comprises shredding the battery material, e.g. using a low speed high torque shredder.
4. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the single fraction comprises electrolyte, and the method further comprises step iii. removal of the electrolyte after step i.
5. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein step i. is performed in a stabilised atmosphere, for example, an atmosphere that is substantially free from oxygen.
6. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein step i. is performed under a high flowrate of air, e.g. using a cyclone air mover.
7. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein step i. is performed in dry conditions
8. The method according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein step i. is performed under a water spray.
9. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein step i. is performed in a temperature controlled environment, e.g. to limit the build-up of heat.
10. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein step i. is performed in one step.
11. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein step iii. is performed in dry conditions.
12. The method according to any preceding Claim, comprising separating the comminuted battery material into a required size range.
13. The method according to Claim 12 comprising sieving the comminuted battery material.
14. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the battery material comprises lithium nickel cobalt aluminium oxide (NCA).
15. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the battery material comprises lithium manganese oxide (LMO).
16. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the battery material comprises lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC).
17. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the battery material comprises lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
18. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the battery material comprises composite cathode materials (e.g. LMO-NCA) and/or composite anode materials ( e.g graphite-LTO).
19. The method according to any preceding Claim, wherein the battery material comprises or consists of LMO-NCA pouch cell material.
20. Apparatus for the recycling of battery materials, the apparatus comprising: a. Comminution apparatus to generate a comminuted battery material; b. Size separation apparatus to size the comminuted battery material to provide a single fraction; c. Electrostatic separation apparatus to electrically separate the single fraction into insulative material and conductive material; and d. Magnetic separation apparatus to magnetically separate the conductive material into magnetic and non-magnetic fractions.
21. Apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises means to pass the single fraction from the size separation apparatus to the electrostatic separation apparatus.
22. Apparatus according to Claim 20 or 21, wherein the apparatus comprises means to pass the conductive material from the electrostatic separation apparatus to the magnetic separation apparatus.
23. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 20, 21 and 22, wherein the size separation apparatus is configured to size the comminuted battery material to provide a single fraction in which >80 wt.%, e.g. >85 wt.%, or >90 wt.%, or >95 wt.% of the pieces of battery material have a maximum dimension in the range of less than or equal to 4.0mm, preferably in a range of from 1.0 to 4.0 mm, say from 2.8 to 4.0 mm.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GBGB2108590.7A GB202108590D0 (en) | 2021-06-16 | 2021-06-16 | Battery recycling |
PCT/GB2022/051497 WO2022263812A1 (en) | 2021-06-16 | 2022-06-14 | Battery recycling |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP4355921A1 true EP4355921A1 (en) | 2024-04-24 |
Family
ID=76954626
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP22740443.1A Pending EP4355921A1 (en) | 2021-06-16 | 2022-06-14 | Battery recycling |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP4355921A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB202108590D0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2022263812A1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN102569940B (en) * | 2011-01-20 | 2014-03-12 | 常州翔宇资源再生科技有限公司 | Method for recycling negative electrode material of waste lithium ion battery |
CN110714122A (en) * | 2019-08-30 | 2020-01-21 | 陈文权 | Waste ternary lithium battery hierarchical recovery equipment and recovery method thereof |
CN112828011A (en) * | 2021-01-05 | 2021-05-25 | 湖南邦普循环科技有限公司 | Method for treating waste lithium battery copper-aluminum material and application |
-
2021
- 2021-06-16 GB GBGB2108590.7A patent/GB202108590D0/en not_active Ceased
-
2022
- 2022-06-14 WO PCT/GB2022/051497 patent/WO2022263812A1/en active Application Filing
- 2022-06-14 EP EP22740443.1A patent/EP4355921A1/en active Pending
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2022263812A1 (en) | 2022-12-22 |
GB202108590D0 (en) | 2021-07-28 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
Kim et al. | A comprehensive review on the pretreatment process in lithium-ion battery recycling | |
JP6198027B1 (en) | How to recover valuable materials from used lithium ion batteries | |
KR102279685B1 (en) | Process for recovering and regenerating lithium cathode material from lithium-ion batteries | |
CN102569940B (en) | Method for recycling negative electrode material of waste lithium ion battery | |
JP6378502B2 (en) | Method for recovering valuable materials from lithium ion secondary batteries | |
JP6238070B2 (en) | Disposal of used lithium ion batteries | |
CN111822140B (en) | Recovery method of waste soft package lithium battery | |
WO2013051305A1 (en) | Method for recovering valuable materials from lithium ion secondary cells | |
WO2016008813A1 (en) | Recycling method | |
CN112121978B (en) | Processing equipment for pole piece crushing and sorting | |
CA2600551C (en) | Method of separating foreign particles | |
Zhan et al. | A cycling-insensitive recycling method for producing lithium transition metal oxide from Li-ion batteries using centrifugal gravity separation | |
KR101359866B1 (en) | Separating and recovering method of current collector and positive electrode active material from positive electrode material for lithium ion battery | |
JP2019153561A (en) | Method for processing lithium ion battery waste | |
JP6994418B2 (en) | Disposal device and treatment method for waste lithium-ion batteries | |
KR102585249B1 (en) | Crushing and classification apparatus of waste lithium battery | |
EP4355921A1 (en) | Battery recycling | |
JP2003010728A (en) | Device and method for magnetic separation | |
Werner et al. | Mechanical and physical processes of battery recycling | |
CN115007614A (en) | Sorting method for broken materials of positive and negative pole pieces of waste lithium ion battery | |
JP7316411B1 (en) | Method for collecting valuables from lithium ion secondary battery | |
CN216910586U (en) | Material crushing separator | |
KR102679541B1 (en) | Lithium battery disassembly and recycling process method | |
AU2023241377A1 (en) | Battery recycling | |
Romero Guillén et al. | Electric Vehicle Batteries: Physical Process for Recycling Cylindrical, Pouch and Prismatic Li-Ion Batteries |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: UNKNOWN |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION HAS BEEN MADE |
|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION WAS MADE |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20231220 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR |