METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A VALUABLE-METAL SULFURIC-ACID SOLUTION FROM A WASTE BATTERY, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A POSITIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL

• US 20130312254A1
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources
• Original Assignee: Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources
• Inventors: Kim, Soo Kyung, Kang, Jin Gu, Sohn, Jeong Soo, Shin, Shun Myung, Yang, Dong Hyo
• Application Number:
  US13/877,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20130312254A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/623.1
• CPC Class Codes: C01D 15/08 Carbonates; Bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/54 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/505 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/525 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a valuable-metal sulfuric-acid solution from a waste battery, and to a method for manufacturing a positive electrode active material. The method for manufacturing the valuable-metal sulfuric-acid solution includes: a step of obtaining valuable-metal powder containing lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese from waste batteries; a step of acid-leaching the valuable-metal powder under a reducing atmosphere in order to obtain a leaching solution; and a step of separating the lithium from the leaching solution so as to obtain a sulfuric-acid solution containing the nickel, cobalt, and manganese.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a valuable-metal sulfuric acid solution from a waste battery, the method comprising:

obtaining valuable-metal powder including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese from a waste battery;

acid leaching the valuable-metal powder with an acid solution including a sulfuric acid solution in a reducing atmosphere to obtain a leaching solution; and

separating lithium from the leaching solution to obtain nickel, cobalt, and manganese sulfuric acid solutions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing at least one impurity of copper, aluminum, and iron by increasing pH, after the obtaining of the leaching solution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating of the lithium is performed by using a molecular sieve.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating of the lithium is performed by separating nickel, manganese, and cobalt from the leaching solution by using a solvent extraction method, and

a process of stripping the separated nickel, manganese, and cobalt with a sulfuric acid solution is further included.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining lithium carbonate by carbonating the separated lithium.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising adjusting respective concentrations of nickel, manganese, and cobalt in the leaching solution, after the obtaining of the leaching solution or the removing of the impurity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the waste battery is in a form of a waste battery pack, and

the waste battery pack comprises a plurality of battery modules electrically connected, the battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells electrically connected, and the battery cell is a type of a lithium-ion battery using LiNi_xCo_yMn_zO₂ as a positive electrode active material,

wherein the obtaining of the valuable-metal powder comprises:

disassembling the waste battery pack to obtain the battery cells;

discharging the battery cells; and

recovering the valuable-metal powder by pulverizing at least a portion of the battery cells and performing particle size separation.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising dehydrating and drying the battery cells, after the discharging,

wherein the discharging is performed in a discharge solution.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising separating the battery cell into a positive electrode structure, a negative electrode structure, and a separator, after the discharging,

wherein the pulverization and the particle size separation are performed on the positive electrode structure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the positive electrode structure comprises:

an aluminum foil; and

the positive electrode active material fixed to the aluminum foil,

wherein the pulverization and the particle size separation are performed to recover 95% or more of lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, and 15% or less of aluminum.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the waste battery pack is obtained at least any one of a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle.

12. A method of manufacturing a positive electrode active material from a waste battery, the method comprising:

obtaining valuable-metal powder including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese from a waste battery;

acid leaching the valuable-metal powder in a reducing atmosphere to obtain a leaching solution;

separating lithium from the leaching solution to obtain nickel, cobalt, and manganese sulfuric acid solutions;

preparing ternary hydroxide from the nickel, cobalt, and manganese sulfuric acid solutions by using a coprecipitation method through adjustment of pH; and

manufacturing a positive electrode active material by mixing and sintering the ternary hydroxide and a lithium compound.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein further comprising removing at least one impurity of copper, aluminum, and iron by increasing pH, after the obtaining of the leaching solution.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the separating of the lithium is performed by using a molecular sieve.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the separating of the lithium is performed by separating nickel, manganese, and cobalt from the leaching solution by using a solvent extraction method, and

a process of stripping the separated nickel, manganese, and cobalt with a sulfuric acid solution is further included.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the lithium compound comprises lithium carbonate obtained by carbonating the separated lithium.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the waste battery is in a form of a waste battery pack, and

the waste battery pack comprises a plurality of battery modules electrically connected, the battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells electrically connected, and the battery cell is a type of a lithium-ion battery using LiNi_xCo_yMn_zO₂ as a positive electrode active material,

wherein the obtaining of the valuable-metal powder comprises:

disassembling the waste battery pack to obtain the battery cells;

discharging the battery cells; and

recovering the valuable-metal powder by pulverizing at least a portion of the battery cells and performing particle size separation.

18. A method of manufacturing a positive electrode active material, the method comprising:

discharging a battery cell having a type of a lithium-ion battery using LiNi_xCo_yMn_zO₂ as a positive electrode active material;

separating the battery cell into a positive electrode structure including the positive electrode active material, a negative electrode structure, and a separator;

obtaining valuable-metal powder including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese by pulverizing the positive electrode structure and performing particle size separation;

acid leaching the valuable-metal powder in a reducing atmosphere to obtain a leaching solution;

obtaining nickel, cobalt, and manganese sulfuric acid solutions, and lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) from the leaching solution;

obtaining ternary hydroxide of nickel, cobalt, and manganese from the sulfuric acid solutions; and

obtaining a positive electrode active material in a form of LiNi_xCo_yMn_zO₂ by mixing and heat treating the ternary hydroxide and the lithium carbonate.