US 12,322,771 B2
Adaptable processes and systems for purifying co-precipitated or independent streams of manganese, nickel, and cobalt from lithium-ion battery waste streams
Reza Katal, Parkville (AU); Ebrahim Akhondi, Yarraville (AU); Mahdi Ghorbani Mousaabadi, Hughesdale (AU); and Pavel Cherepanov, Armstrong Creek (AU)
Assigned to GREEN LI-ION PTE. LTD., Singapore (SG)
Filed by GREEN LI-ION PTE. LTD., Singapore (SG)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/640,456.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/534,183, filed on Aug. 23, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0070294 A1, Feb. 27, 2025
Int. Cl. H01M 10/54 (2006.01); C22B 3/00 (2006.01); C22B 3/30 (2006.01); C22B 3/38 (2006.01); C22B 3/44 (2006.01); C22B 7/00 (2006.01); C22B 26/12 (2006.01); C22B 47/00 (2006.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01)
CPC H01M 10/54 (2013.01) [C22B 3/30 (2021.05); C22B 3/3846 (2021.05); C22B 3/44 (2013.01); C22B 7/007 (2013.01); C22B 23/0469 (2013.01); C22B 23/0484 (2013.01); C22B 26/12 (2013.01); C22B 47/00 (2013.01); H01M 10/0525 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for recovering manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni) from a lithium-ion battery waste stream, the process comprising:
processing a waste liquid stream comprising manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co) originating from the lithium-ion battery waste stream in a system having a first metal recovery unit and a second metal recovery unit, the second metal recovery unit including a manganese (Mn) recovery unit to recover a first product comprising manganese (Mn), a nickel (Ni) recovery unit to recover a second product comprising nickel (Ni), and a cobalt (Co) recovery unit to recover a third product comprising cobalt (Co), by either recovering a co-precipitated product comprising manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co) in the first metal recovery unit or recovering the first product comprising manganese (Mn), the second product comprising nickel (Ni), and the third product comprising (Co) in the second metal recovery unit, wherein:
(a) the recovering the co-precipitated product in the first metal recovery unit comprises separating the manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co) from the waste liquid stream by conducting a co-precipitation process in a reactor by increasing pH to greater than or equal to about 10 to form a precipitated solid and separating the precipitated solid from the waste liquid stream to recover the co-precipitated product comprising manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co); or
(b) the recovering the first product comprising manganese (Mn), the second product comprising nickel (Ni), and the third product comprising (Co) in the second metal recovery unit comprises separating manganese (Mn) from the waste liquid stream to form the first product comprising manganese (Mn) by a process comprising:
(i) introducing a first oxidant to the waste liquid stream to form solid manganese dioxide (MnO2);
(ii) reacting the waste liquid stream with ozone (O3) to form solid manganese dioxide (MnO2); or
(iii) both (i) and (ii); and
separating the solid manganese dioxide (MnO2) from the waste liquid stream to recover the first product comprising manganese (Mn); and
separating nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) from the waste liquid stream by:
(iv) adding sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and a second oxidant to treat the waste liquid stream, followed by adjusting pH to greater than or equal to about 4, adding sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) to form cobalt oxyhydroxide (COOH), passing the waste liquid stream through a first filter to form a first retentate comprising cobalt oxyhydroxide (COOH) and a first filtrate comprising nickel (Ni) and liquid;
(v) recovering cobalt (Co) from the first retentate by purifying the cobalt oxyhydroxide (COOH) in the first retentate and adding sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and a third oxidant to the first retentate, followed by adjusting pH to greater than or equal to about 4, then by adding NaClO and finally passing the first retentate through a second filter to form a second retentate comprising cobalt oxyhydroxide (COOH); and
(vi) recovering cobalt (Co) from the second retentate by purifying the cobalt oxyhydroxide (COOH) in the second retentate by adding sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and a fourth oxidant to the second retentate to form cobalt sulfate (CoSO4), followed by one or more of the following processes to form the third product comprising (Co):
a. removing liquid from the second retentate to recover cobalt sulfate (CoSO4); and/or
b. adjusting pH of the second retentate to greater than or equal to about 9 to precipitate a cobalt hydroxide product comprising one or more of cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)2) or cobalt oxyhydroxide (COOH); and
(vii) recovering nickel (Ni) from the first filtrate as the second product comprising nickel (Ni) by one of the following processes:
a. removing liquid from the first filtrate to recover nickel sulfate (NiSO4); and
b. adjusting the pH of the first filtrate to be greater than or equal to about 9 to precipitate nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2).