Systems and methods for recycling electrodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12068464-B2
Application number	US-201917048981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2019
Priority date	Apr 19, 2018
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods that can present low-temperature recycling of rare metals from spent electrodes. An exemplary method of recycling a battery comprises: mixing, in a solution, at least an electrode material and a first solvent; reducing the electrode material in the solution to create a metallic material; and extracting the metallic material from the solution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of recycling a battery comprising:
mixing, in a solution, an electrode material and a first solvent comprising a single-composition or multi-composition polyol;
reducing the electrode material in the solution to create a metallic material; and
extracting the metallic material from the solution;
wherein the electrode material comprises:
a transition metal; and
an electrolyte.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
extracting the electrode material from an electrode source;
soaking the electrode source in a second solvent to form a mixture; and
drying the mixture to remove the second solvent.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising washing the extracted metallic material.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising drying, after the extracting, the solution.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein drying the solution obtains a recycled first solvent and a metal salt material; and
wherein the method further comprises heating the metal salt material.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the metal salt material comprises lithium carbonate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode material further comprises lithium.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic material comprises at least one transition metal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing comprises heating the solution in a reflux setup at a temperature of 250° C. or less.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing comprises heating the solution in a reflux setup at the boiling point temperature of the solution or greater.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting comprises using a magnet to attract the metallic material.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing comprises heating for 12 hours or greater.

13. A method of recycling a battery comprising:
mixing, in a solution, an electrode material and a first solvent;
heating the electrode material in the solution for 12 hours or greater to create a metallic material comprising at least one transition metal; and
extracting the metallic material from the solution using a magnet to attract the metallic material;
wherein the electrode material comprises:
at least one transition metal;
an electrolyte; and
lithium; and

wherein the first solvent comprises a single-composition or multi-composition polyol.

14. A method of recycling a battery comprising:
mixing, in a solution, an electrode material and a first solvent comprising a single-composition or multi-composition polyol;
heating the solution;
reducing the electrode material in the solution to create a metallic material;
extracting the metallic material from the solution;
filtering a remaining portion of the solution to remove impurities; and
condensing the filtered remaining portion of the solution to remove the first solvent and obtain a metal salt material;
wherein the electrode material comprises:
a transition metal; and
an electrolyte.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising washing the extracted metallic material with one or more washing solvents;
wherein heating comprises a reflux setup and lasts for 12 hours or greater;
wherein the metallic material comprises at least one transition metal; and
wherein the metal salt material comprises lithium carbonate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein extracting the metallic material comprises a magnet attracted to the metallic material.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrode material further comprises a lithium-containing material.

Assignees

• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Chen Hailong
• Ma Xuetian
• Tang Yuanzhi
• Xiong Shan

Classifications

• Y02W30/84

  Recycling of batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• C22B26/12 Primary

  Obtaining lithium · CPC title

• C22B23/0453

  Treatment or purification of solutions, e.g. obtained by leaching (C22B23/0407 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C22B7/006

  Wet processes · CPC title

• C01D15/08

  Carbonates; Bicarbonates · CPC title