US 12,134,803 B2
Process for the recycling of spent lithium ion cells
Wolfgang Rohde, Ludwigshafen (DE); Torben Adermann, Ludwigshafen (DE); Kerstin Schierle-Arndt, Ludwigshafen (DE); and Birgit Gerke, Ludwigshafen (DE)
Assigned to BASF SE, Ludwigshafen Am Rhein (DE)
Appl. No. 17/250,339
Filed by BASF SE, Ludwigshafen (DE)
PCT Filed Jul. 9, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/068357
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 7, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/011765, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18182709 (EP), filed on Jul. 10, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0324495 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
Int. Cl. H01M 10/54 (2006.01); C22B 1/00 (2006.01); C22B 3/00 (2006.01); C22B 7/00 (2006.01); C22B 26/12 (2006.01)
CPC C22B 7/007 (2013.01) [C22B 1/005 (2013.01); C22B 23/043 (2013.01); C22B 23/0453 (2013.01); C22B 26/12 (2013.01); H01M 10/54 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
 
1. A process for recovering transition metals from spent lithium ion batteries containing nickel (Ni), comprising the steps of:
(a) heating a lithium containing transition metal oxide material to a temperature ranging from 200° C. to 900° C. in the presence of H2, wherein the transition metal oxide material is from lithium ion batteries and contains fluorine compounds and/or compounds of phosphorous as impurities;
(b) treating the material obtained in step (a) with an aqueous medium to form a solid residue and a solution;
(c) removing by solid-solid separation Ni from the solid residue of step (b) forming a solid Ni-concentrate;
(d) recovering lithium (Li) as a hydroxide or salt from the solution obtained in step (b); and
(e) extracting Ni and/or cobalt (Co) from the solid Ni-concentrate obtained in step (c),
wherein the lithium containing transition metal oxide material used in step (a) is from lithium ion batteries after mechanic removal of casing, wiring or circuitry and discharging, and wherein the material is not exposed to temperatures of 350° C. or more under oxidizing conditions before the heating of step (a).