A microwave-enhanced method able to substitute traditional pyrometallurgy for the future of metals supply from spent lithium-ion batteries

Year: 2023

Authors: Fahimi A., Alessandri I., Cornelio A., Frontera P., Malara A., Mousa E., Ye GZ., Valentim B., Bontempi E.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Brescia, INSTM, Via Branze 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; Univ Brescia, Chem Technol Lab, Via Branze 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; Univ Brescia, Dept Informat Engn, Via Branze 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; CNR INO, Brescia Res Unit, Via Branze 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; Mediterranea Univ Reggio Calabria, INSTM, Via Graziella, I-89122 Reggio, Calabria, Italy; Mediterranea Univ Reggio Calabria, Dept Civil Energy Environm & Mat Engn, Via Graziella, I-89122 Reggio, Calabria, Italy; SWERIM AB, Aronstorpsvagen 1, SE-97437 Lulea, Sweden; Univ Porto, Earth Sci Inst Porto Pole, Fac Sci, Dept Geosci Environm & Spatial Plannings, Rua Campo Alegre S-N, P-4169007 Porto, Portugal; Cent Met Res & Dev Inst CMRDI, BO Box 87, Helwan, Egypt.

Abstract: This work presents a new and promising method to recover Li, Co, Mn, and Ni from spent LIBs, based on a hybrid heating mechanism, obtained by using microwave radiation. Due to the presence of graphite, the heating is induced by the interfacial polarization of carbon atoms. The hybrid heating is based on the synergistic combination of an external susceptor with a graphite crucible. The system allows reaching carbothermic reduction conditions of black mass originating from spent LIBs, with a treatment of only a few minutes considering an electromagnetic radiation power equal to or less than1000 W, without any other additives. This process reduces the required associated energy by more than 2 orders of magnitude in comparison to conventional thermal treatments.The thermal process is followed by leaching in water and L-malic acid, obtaining a recovery process resulting to be competitive with metals extraction from respective ores.

Journal/Review: RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING

Volume: 194      Pages from: 106989-1  to: 106989-10

More Information: This work was supported under the scope of the ERA-MIN2 Joint Call (2018) Novel Circular Economic Approaches for Efficient Extraction of Valuables from Spent Li-Ion Batteries (NEXT-LIB) .
KeyWords: Spent lithium-ion batteries; Metals recycling; Circular economy; Pyrometallurgy; Microwave heating
DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.106989

ImpactFactor: 11.200
Citations: 16
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