Extraction of lithium from the simulated pyrometallurgical slag of spent lithium-ion batteries by binary eutectic molten carbonates

Hui Dang; Zhidong Chang; Hualei Zhou; Sihang Ma; Min Li; Jialing Xiang

doi:10.1007/s12613-021-2366-3

Volume 29 Issue 9

Sep. 2022

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials > 2022 > 29(9): 1715-1721

Hui Dang, Zhidong Chang, Hualei Zhou, Sihang Ma, Min Li, and Jialing Xiang, Extraction of lithium from the simulated pyrometallurgical slag of spent lithium-ion batteries by binary eutectic molten carbonates, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 29(2022), No. 9, pp. 1715-1721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-021-2366-3

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Hui Dang, Zhidong Chang, Hualei Zhou, Sihang Ma, Min Li, and Jialing Xiang, Extraction of lithium from the simulated pyrometallurgical slag of spent lithium-ion batteries by binary eutectic molten carbonates, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 29(2022), No. 9, pp. 1715-1721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-021-2366-3

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Research Article

Extraction of lithium from the simulated pyrometallurgical slag of spent lithium-ion batteries by binary eutectic molten carbonates

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Corresponding authors:
Zhidong Chang E-mail: zdchang@ustb.edu.cn

Hualei Zhou E-mail: hlzhou@ustb.edu.cn
Received: 11 June 2021; Revised: 13 October 2021; Accepted: 15 October 2021; Available online: 16 October 2021

Abstract

Abstract

The effective and low-temperature extraction of lithium from the pyrometallurgical slag of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) remains a great challenge. Herein, potassium carbonate/sodium carbonate (K₂CO₃/Na₂CO₃), which could form a eutectic molten salt system at 720°C, was used as a roasting agent to extract lithium from pyrometallurgical slag. Lithium was successfully extracted from the slag by K₂CO₃/Na₂CO₃ roasting followed by water leaching. Theoretical calculation results indicate that the lengths of Li–O bonds increase after K⁺/Na⁺ adsorption, resulting in the easy release of Li⁺ from the LiAlSi₂O₆ lattice after roasting with K₂CO₃/Na₂CO₃. Thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry results indicate that the eutectic phenomenon of K₂CO₃ and Na₂CO₃ could be observed at 720°C and that the reaction of the slag and eutectic molten salts occurs at temperatures above 720°C. X-ray diffraction results suggest that Li⁺ in the slag is exchanged by K⁺ in K₂CO₃ with the concurrent formation of KAlSiO₄, while Na₂CO₃ mainly functions as a fluxing agent. The lithium extraction efficiency can reach 93.87% under the optimal conditions of a roasting temperature of 740°C, roasting time of 30 min, leaching temperature of 50°C, leaching time of 40 min, and water/roasted sample mass ratio of 10:1. This work provides a new system for extracting lithium from the pyrometallurgical slag of spent LIBs.
- spent lithium-ion battery;
- lithium recovery;
- silicate structure;
- low roasting temperature;
- binary eutectic carbonates roasting

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