Selective leaching of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries using sulfuric acid and oxalic acid

Haijun Yu; Dongxing Wang; Shuai Rao; Lijuan Duan; Cairu Shao; Xiaohui Tu; Zhiyuan Ma; Hongyang Cao; Zhiqiang Liu

doi:10.1007/s12613-023-2741-3

Volume 31 Issue 4

Apr. 2024

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials > 2024 > 31(4): 688-696

Haijun Yu, Dongxing Wang, Shuai Rao, Lijuan Duan, Cairu Shao, Xiaohui Tu, Zhiyuan Ma, Hongyang Cao, and Zhiqiang Liu, Selective leaching of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries using sulfuric acid and oxalic acid, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 31(2024), No. 4, pp. 688-696. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-023-2741-3

Cite this article as:

Haijun Yu, Dongxing Wang, Shuai Rao, Lijuan Duan, Cairu Shao, Xiaohui Tu, Zhiyuan Ma, Hongyang Cao, and Zhiqiang Liu, Selective leaching of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries using sulfuric acid and oxalic acid, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 31(2024), No. 4, pp. 688-696. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-023-2741-3

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Research Article

Selective leaching of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries using sulfuric acid and oxalic acid

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Corresponding authors:
Dongxing Wang E-mail: 710797438@qq.com

Xiaohui Tu E-mail: 3162510484@qq.com
Received: 13 July 2023; Revised: 5 September 2023; Accepted: 8 September 2023; Available online: 9 September 2023

Abstract

Abstract

Traditional hydrometallurgical methods for recovering spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) involve acid leaching to simultaneously extract all valuable metals into the leachate. These methods usually are followed by a series of separation steps such as precipitation, extraction, and stripping to separate the individual valuable metals. In this study, we present a process for selectively leaching lithium through the synergistic effect of sulfuric and oxalic acids. Under optimal leaching conditions (leaching time of 1.5 h, leaching temperature of 70°C, liquid–solid ratio of 4 mL/g, oxalic acid ratio of 1.3, and sulfuric acid ratio of 1.3), the lithium leaching efficiency reached 89.6%, and the leaching efficiencies of Ni, Co, and Mn were 12.8%, 6.5%, and 21.7%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) analyses showed that most of the Ni, Co, and Mn in the raw material remained as solid residue oxides and oxalates. This study offers a new approach to enriching the relevant theory for selectively recovering lithium from spent LIBs.
- selective leaching;
- oxalic acid;
- sulfuric acid;
- spent lithium-ion batteries

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