US 11,851,729 B2
Method for recovering valuable metal
Yu Yamashita, Niihama (JP)
Assigned to SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/014,187
Filed by SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Jun. 21, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/023471
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 3, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/009656, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 13, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-118451 (JP), filed on Jul. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0212710 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C22B 7/00 (2006.01); C22B 1/02 (2006.01); C22B 9/10 (2006.01); C22B 15/00 (2006.01); C22B 23/02 (2006.01); H01M 10/54 (2006.01)
CPC C22B 7/003 (2013.01) [C22B 1/02 (2013.01); C22B 9/10 (2013.01); C22B 15/005 (2013.01); C22B 23/02 (2013.01); H01M 10/54 (2013.01)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for recovering copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co) which are valuable metals, from a raw material comprising a discarded lithium ion battery, the method comprising:
preparing, as a raw material, a charge comprising the discarded lithium ion battery comprising at least phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe) and the valuable metals;
heating and melting the raw material into a melt, and then forming the melt into a molten material comprising an alloy and slag; and
separating the slag from the molten material and recovering the alloy comprising the valuable metals,
the method further comprising oxidatively roasting the raw material before heating and melting the raw material, to produce an oxidatively roasted material,
in the oxidatively roasting step, the raw material being oxidatively roasted at a degree of oxidation such that part of iron contained in the raw material is oxidized but cobalt is not oxidized,
during the step of heating and melting of the raw material, flux comprising a calcium compound that forms a basic slag being added as well as an oxygen partial pressure in the melt being directly measured using an oxygen analyzer,
the oxygen partial pressure being controlled to be within a range of 10−13.0 (atm) or more and 10−8.0 (atm) or less, based on the obtained measurement result,
the method being devoid of a dephosphorization step of removing phosphorus from the alloy after separating the slag from the molten material and recovering the alloy, wherein the alloy recovered comprises phosphorus in a content of 0.50 mass % or less and manganese in a content of 2.0 mass % or less.