US 11,859,264 B2
Alloy powder and method for producing same
Ryo Togashi, Niihama (JP); and Yu Yamashita, Niihama (JP)
Assigned to SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/258,763
Filed by SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 11, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/027575
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 8, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/013293, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-132646 (JP), filed on Jul. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0126300 A1, Apr. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. B22F 9/08 (2006.01); C22B 7/00 (2006.01); C22B 7/04 (2006.01); C22B 15/00 (2006.01); C22C 9/06 (2006.01); H01M 10/54 (2006.01); B22F 1/05 (2022.01); B22F 1/00 (2022.01)
CPC C22B 7/001 (2013.01) [B22F 1/00 (2013.01); B22F 1/05 (2022.01); B22F 9/082 (2013.01); C22B 7/04 (2013.01); C22B 15/0054 (2013.01); C22B 15/0093 (2013.01); C22C 9/06 (2013.01); H01M 10/54 (2013.01); B22F 2009/0848 (2013.01)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for producing an alloy powder, the method comprising:
a melting step of melting a waste lithium ion battery so as to obtain a molten material;
a slag separation step of separating slag including phosphorus from the molten material so as to recover an alloy material which contains Cu and at least one of Ni and Co; and
a powdering step of powdering, with a gas atomization method, a molten alloy which is formed of the alloy material and in which a phosphorus grade is less than 0.1% by mass, to obtain the alloy powder having, on its surface, a concentrated portion in which at least one of Ni and Co is increased,
wherein in the powdering step, the molten alloy is powdered with the gas atomization method to obtain the alloy powder which has an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 300 μm or less and which includes, on its surface, a concentrated portion in which the concentrations of nickel and cobalt are increased, and
wherein the molten alloy is formed of the alloy material, the molten alloy has a phosphorus grade of less than 0.1% by mass, and the molten alloy is a copper-nickel-cobalt alloy at a temperature of 1320° C. or more and 1600° C. or less having a Cu content of 50% by mass or more and 97% by mass or less, a Ni content of 3% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, a Co content of 3% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, and a total content of Ni and Co of 3% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less.