| Title |
The COOL-Process-A Selective Approach for Recycling Lithium Batteries |
| ID_Doc |
24867 |
| Authors |
Pavón, S; Kaiser, D; Mende, R; Bertau, M |
| Title |
The COOL-Process-A Selective Approach for Recycling Lithium Batteries |
| Year |
2021 |
| Published |
Metals, 11, 2 |
| DOI |
10.3390/met11020259 |
| Abstract |
The global market of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) has been growing in recent years, mainly owed to electromobility. The global LIB market is forecasted to amount to $129.3 billion in 2027. Considering the global reserves needed to produce these batteries and their limited lifetime, efficient recycling processes for secondary sources are mandatory. A selective process for Li recycling from LIB black mass is described. Depending on the process parameters Li was recovered almost quantitatively by the COOL-Process making use of the selective leaching properties of supercritical CO2/water. Optimization of this direct carbonization process was carried out by a design of experiments (DOE) using a 3(3) Box-Behnken design. Optimal reaction conditions were 230 degrees C, 4 h, and a water:black mass ratio of 90 mL/g, yielding 98.6 +/- 0.19 wt.% Li. Almost quantitative yield (99.05 +/- 0.64 wt.%), yet at the expense of higher energy consumption, was obtained with 230 degrees C, 4 h, and a water:black mass ratio of 120 mL/g. Mainly Li and Al were mobilized, which allows for selectively precipitating Li2CO3 in battery grade-quality (>99.8 wt.%) without the need for further refining. Valuable metals, such as Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Mn, remained in the solid residue (97.7 wt.%), from where they are recovered by established processes. Housing materials were separated mechanically, thus recycling LIB without residues. This holistic zero waste-approach allows for recovering the critical raw material Li from both primary and secondary sources. |
| Author Keywords |
lithium recycling; circular economy; lithium batteries; supercritical CO2; black mass |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:000622767300001 |
| WoS Category |
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary; Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
| Research Area |
Materials Science; Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
| PDF |
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