Inhibitor for alkali and alkaline earth metals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11873430-B2
Application number	US-201916975279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2019
Priority date	Mar 1, 2018
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

The technology described relates to a process for the safe dissolution of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and alloys predominantly comprising at least one thereof. The process comprises contacting the metal with a reaction inhibitor and water. In this process, the reaction inhibitor is selected from a hydrocarbon, a hydroxylated compound, and a mixture thereof. The uses of this process for the quantitative dissolution of metals and their analysis, for the destruction and stabilization of metallic residues, and for the recycling of batteries are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Process for the dissolution of a metal, in which the metal is selected from alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and alloys comprising at least 50% by weight of at least one thereof, the process comprising, in order, the steps of:
a) completely or partially immersing the metal in a reaction inhibitor; and
b) adding water,

wherein the reaction inhibitor is selected from a hydrocarbon, a hydroxylated compound, and a mixture comprising at least two thereof.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, and an alloy comprising at least 50% by weight of one thereof.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the metal is lithium, or an alloy of lithium and magnesium or aluminum, where lithium is predominant.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and an alloy comprising at least 50% by weight of one thereof.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxylated compound is of formula:
R(OH) x , where R is selected from C 1-8 alkyl and C 2-3 alkyl(OC 2-3 alkyl) y groups, where x is between 1 and 4, and y is between 1 and 5, and the C:O ratio of the hydroxylated compound is in the range of from 1:1 to 3:1; or
R(OH) x , where R and x are such that the formula defines a polyalkylene glycol having an average molecular weight between 300 and 800 g/mol or a polyvinyl alcohol having an average molecular weight between 7,000 and 101,000 g/mol, optionally substituted with one or more ester group(s).

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the hydroxylated compound is selected from propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, glycerol, ethylene glycol, ethanol, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol (PEG), methoxypolyethylene glycol (MEG), and a mixture comprising at least two thereof.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction inhibitor comprises propylene glycol.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction inhibitor further comprises methanol.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction inhibitor is a mixture comprising a hydroxylated compound present at a concentration between 1 and 99% v/v, or between 10 and 80% v/v, or between 30 and 60% v/v, or is about 50% v/v.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is of formula C n H m , where n and m are integers; n is between 5 and 40; and m is selected such that the molecule is stable and optionally comprises one or more unsaturation(s), wherein the hydrocarbon comprises at least 50% by volume of linear, cyclic, or branched alkanes.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the inhibitor is a mixture comprising at least one hydroxylated compound and a hydrocarbon.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the water is comprised in a light mineral oil and water emulsion.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the water or the light mineral oil and water emulsion is added continuously and at a controlled low rate or added portionwise at regular intervals.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the water or the light mineral oil and water emulsion is added until the solution reaches a water concentration between 50% v/v and 90% v/v or until complete dissolution of the metal.

15. The process of claim 13 , wherein the water or the light mineral oil and water emulsion is added continuously and at a controlled low rate of from about 0.05% v/v to about 1% v/v per minute.

16. The process of claim 13 , wherein the water or the light mineral oil and water emulsion is added by portions of 0.10 to 6.0 μl per milligram of metal to be dissolved per 15-minute periods.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction inhibitor is a hydroxide of the metal, and step (a) comprises contacting the metal with a concentrated solution of the hydroxide of the metal in water.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the concentrated solution of the hydroxide of the metal is a solution of lithium hydroxide in water having a concentration between 4 and 12.8% wt./vol, or between 6 and 12.8% wt./vol, or between 8 and 12.8% wt./vol, or wherein the concentrated solution is a saturated solution.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the lithium hydroxide in water is at a concentration between 6 and 12.8% wt./vol.

20. The process of claim 18 , wherein the lithium hydroxide in water is at a concentration between 8 and 12.8% wt./vol.

21. The process of claim 18 , wherein the lithium hydroxide in water is a saturated solution.

22. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal is fixed to a non-reactive metal prior to the contacting step.

23. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dissolution is quantitative, and wherein the step (a) optionally comprises a step of weighting the metal prior to the contacting, the process further comprising the steps of:
(b) optional separation of the solution; and
(c) quantitative analysis of the solution optionally carried out by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).

24. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal is in the form of metallic residues adhering to the surface of a piece of equipment, wherein the step (a) is optionally carried out on the complete piece of equipment to which the metallic residues adhere, and said process is used for the destruction and stabilization of metallic residues.

25. The process of claim 1 , wherein said process is used for recycling batteries, and said process optionally comprises a step of dismantling or shredding the battery before or during the contacting step.

26. A process for recycling lithium comprising the steps of a process as defined in claim 1 , the lithium being recycled in the form of LiOH or LiOH·H 2 O, or converted in the form of Li 2 CO 3 , or another lithium salt.

Assignees

• Hydro Quebec

Inventors

• Bouchard Patrick
• Pronovost Josée
• Cossette Christiane
• Verreault Serge
• Baril Chantal
• Leblanc Dominic
• Zaghib Karim

Classifications

• C09K15/06 Primary

  containing oxygen · CPC title

• C22B7/006

  Wet processes · CPC title

• C22B26/12

  Obtaining lithium · CPC title

• H01M6/52

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste cells or batteries {, e.g. recycling} · CPC title

• H01M10/54

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title