| CPC C01G 53/40 (2013.01) [B01D 21/01 (2013.01); H01M 10/54 (2013.01); C01P 2004/32 (2013.01); C01P 2004/61 (2013.01); C01P 2006/11 (2013.01); C01P 2006/40 (2013.01); C01P 2006/80 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
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1. A method of producing a cathode material precursor from a recycled lithium-ion battery stream, comprising:
a) forming a slurry of metal hydroxide seeds by:
combining a first aqueous acidic leach solution comprising metal salts, a first aqueous chelating agent solution, and a first aqueous base solution in a first stage reactor of a multi-stage reactor system, and
co-precipitating the metal salts from the first aqueous acidic leach solution at a first pH and at a first stir rate to form the slurry of metal hydroxide seeds,
b) transferring the slurry of metal hydroxide seeds from the first stage reactor to two or more second stage reactors of the multi-stage reactor system,
c) forming a slurry of metal hydroxide intermediate particles by:
adding a second aqueous acidic leach solution comprising metal salts, a second aqueous chelating agent solution, and a second aqueous base solution to the slurry of metal hydroxide seeds in the second stage reactors, and
co-precipitating the metal salts from the second aqueous acidic leach solution at a second pH and at a second stir rate to form the slurry of metal hydroxide intermediate particles, wherein the second pH is less than the first pH and the second stir rate is less than the first stir rate,
d) transferring the slurry of metal hydroxide intermediate particles from the second stage reactors to three or more third stage reactors of the multi-stage reactor system, wherein the multi-stage reactor system includes more third stage reactors than second stage reactors,
e) forming a slurry of metal hydroxide final particles by:
adding a third aqueous acidic leach solution comprising metal salts, a third aqueous chelating agent solution, and a third aqueous base solution to the slurry of metal hydroxide intermediate particles in the third stage reactors, wherein a leach feed rate of the third aqueous acidic leach solution is greater than a leach feed rate of the second aqueous acidic leach solution, and
co-precipitating the metal salts from the third aqueous leach solution at a third pH and at a third stir rate to form the slurry of metal hydroxide final particles,
f) transferring the slurry of metal hydroxide final particles from the third stage reactors to four or more fourth stage reactors of the multi-stage reactor system, wherein the multi-stage reactor system includes more fourth stage reactors than third stage reactors, and
g) forming a slurry of spherical metal hydroxide particles by:
adding a fourth aqueous acidic leach solution comprising metal salts, a fourth aqueous chelating agent solution, and a fourth aqueous base solution to the slurry of metal hydroxide final particles in the fourth stage reactors, wherein an amount of the fourth aqueous acidic leach solution is less than an amount of the third aqueous acidic leach solution, and
co-precipitating the metal salts from the fourth aqueous leach solution at a fourth pH and at a fourth stir rate to form the slurry of spherical metal hydroxide particles.
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