Leaching lithium from the anode electrode materials of spent lithium-ion batteries by hydrochloric acid (HCl)

Yang Guo; Feng Li; Haochen Zhu; Guangming Li; Juwen Huang; Wenzhi He

doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2015.11.036

Leaching lithium from the anode electrode materials of spent lithium-ion batteries by hydrochloric acid (HCl)

Waste Manag. 2016 May:51:227-233. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.11.036. Epub 2015 Dec 7.

Authors

Yang Guo¹, Feng Li², Haochen Zhu¹, Guangming Li², Juwen Huang², Wenzhi He³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Cooperative Centre for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recycling, Shanghai 200092, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: hithwz@163.com.

PMID: 26674969
DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.11.036

Abstract

Spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered as an important secondary resource for its high contents of valuable components, such as lithium and cobalt. Currently, studies mainly focus on the recycling of cathode electrodes. There are few studies concentrating on the recovery of anode electrodes. In this work, based on the analysis result of high amount of lithium contained in the anode electrode, the acid leaching process was applied to recycle lithium from anode electrodes of spent LIBs. Hydrochloric acid was introduced as leaching reagent, and hydrogen peroxide as reducing agent. Within the range of experiment performed, hydrogen peroxide was found to have little effect on lithium leaching process. The highest leaching recovery of 99.4wt% Li was obtained at leaching temperature of 80°C, 3M hydrochloric acid and S/L ratio of 1:50g/ml for 90min. The graphite configuration with a better crystal structure obtained after the leaching process can also be recycled.

Keywords: Anode; Hydrochloric acid; Lithium; Lithium-ion battery; Recycle.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Electric Power Supplies*
Electrodes
Electronic Waste / analysis
Hydrochloric Acid / chemistry*
Hydrogen Peroxide / chemistry
Lithium / chemistry*
Recycling / methods*
Waste Management / methods*

Substances

Lithium
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrochloric Acid