The Study Of Recovery Technology Of Ternary Cathode Materials From Spent Lithium Ion Batteries

As the demand of energy and the markets of electronics and Electric vehicles increased, the lithium ion batteries are accepted by people because of their security, eco-friendly for environment, high capacity and good electrochemical performance, which result in amount of lithium ion batteries produced and consumed. In order to protect environment, save and recycle resources, it is necessary to improve the technology of recovery spent lithium ion batteries. Ternary material is one of cathodic materials containing various valuable metal elements, so it is worth to recovery. In this paper, we investigated that the gluconic acid was used in the acid leaching of ternary material of spent lithium ion batteries and the gluconic acid concentration, amount of H2O2, solid/liquid ratios, leaching time and temperature were discussed as experiment conditions. The reaction mechanism was researched at the same time.⑴ The contents of experiment included discharging the batteries. Dismantling batteries and separating plastic, steel crusts, diaphragm, anode and cathode. NMP and ultrasonic were used to separate the aluminum foil and active materials. Heat treatment with muffle and Characterization with SEM and XRD, leaching active materials with gluconic acid and find the best experiment condition.⑵After acid leaching process, we found that the gluconic acid concentration, amount of H2O2 and temperature have obvious effects on the efficiencies of leaching, and the solid/liquid ratios, leaching time have little effects on leaching. The result of the experiment illuminated that when the gluconic acid concentration is 1 M, the amount of H2O2 is 1 vol.%, solid/liquid ratio is 30 mg/L, water bath temperature is 70 ℃ and the leaching time is 80 min, more than 90 wt.% of Co, Mn, Ni can be leached and the efficiencies of Li is above 95 wt.%. It proves that gluconic acid is a kind of practical leachant.⑶The glucose oxidase can catalyzes the oxidation of β-D-glucose and the productions are gluconic acid and H2O2, which are the leaching agent and reducing agent of leaching process. So I think the enzyme reaction can be used in the recycling of spent lithium ion batteries. The future of thetechnology of the spent lithium ion batteries recycling must be not only eco-friendly for the environment, harmless for people, but also low cost and high economic benefit.