Process for the recovery of lithium from waste lithium ion batteries

US12410493B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Wolfgang Rohde · Speyer, DE
• Birgit GERKE · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Kerstin Schierle-Arndt · Zwingenberg, DE
• Torben Adermann · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Matthias VOGES · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Regina Vogelsang · Ludwigshafen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 24, 2020
• Grant date: Sep 9, 2025
• Expiry date: Dec 17, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02W30/84
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for the recovery of lithium from waste lithium ion batteries or parts thereof is disclosed. The process comprising the steps of (a) providing a particulate material containing a transition metal compound and/or transition metal, wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ni and Co, and wherein further at least a fraction of said Ni and/or Co, if present, are in an oxidation state lower than +2, and at least a fraction of said Mn, if present, is manganese(II)oxide; which particulate material further contains a lithium salt and a fluoride salt, and which particulate material optionally contains calcium provided that the element ratio calcium to fluorine is 1.7 or less or is zero; (b) treating the material provided in step (a) with a polar solvent and an alkaline earth hydroxide; and (c) separating the solids from the liquid, optionally followed by washing the solid residue with a polar solvent such as water provides good separation of lithium in high purity, and recovery of valuable transition metals.