Methods for extracting elements from a solution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12180561-B2
Application number	US-201916672822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Nov 2, 2018
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

Provided are processes for extracting nickel and lithium from a Ni 2+ /Li + solution. The process for extracting nickel and lithium includes providing a Ni 2+ /Li + solution comprising an amount of lithium and an amount of nickel, treating the Ni 2+ /Li + solution with an alkaline agent to adjust the pH of the Ni 2+ /Li + solution to between about 1.0 to about 10.0, and treating the Ni 2+ /Li + solution with a nickel selective extractant, the nickel selective extractant suitable to extract nickel from the Ni 2+ /Li + solution at said pH to thereby produce a Li + solution with less than 1000 parts per million Ni 2+ . Once complete, the process provides for recoverable nickel and/or lithium that may be recycled into batteries or sold for other uses.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for extracting nickel from a Nickel(II)/Lithium(I) (Ni 2+ /Li + ) solution, the process comprising:
(A) providing a Ni 2+ /Li + solution comprising an amount of lithium and an amount of nickel;
(B) treating the Ni 2+ /Li + with an alkaline agent to adjust the pH of the Ni 2+ /Li + solution to between about 1.0 to about 10.0, optionally about 5.0 to about 10.0, optionally about 6.0 to about 10.0; and
(C) treating the Ni 2+ /Li + solution with a nickel selective extractant via a counterflow of organic and aqueous phases in two or more stages, the nickel selective extractant suitable to extract nickel from the Ni 2+ /Li + solution while the lithium stays in the Ni 2+ /Li + solution at said pH to thereby produce a Li + solution with less Ni 2+ than said Ni 2+ /Li + solution.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising isolating a lithium salt, optionally by treating the Li + solution with a carbonation agent to produce lithium salt.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the carbonation agent is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), sodium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, bicarbonate, and a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the lithium salt is filtered and washed.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the Li + solution comprises less than 1000 parts per million Ni 2+ , optionally less than 100 parts per million optionally less than 10 parts per million Ni 2+ .

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, and a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the nickel selective extractant is an oxime.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the oxime is selected from the group consisting of 5-nonsalicylaldoxime, 5-dodecylsalicylaldoxime, 5-nonyl-2-hydroxyacetophenone oxime, and a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the nickel selective extractant further comprises a hydrocarbon.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein they hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of kerosene, paraffin, naphthene, and a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

11. The process of claim 9 , wherein the nickel selective extractant and hydrocarbon are present at 10:90 percent by volume to 30:70 percent by volume.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (C) is performed at a pH of about 7.0.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein:
the pH of the Ni 2+ /Li + solution of step (B) is from 6.0 to 8.0,
the Li 2+ solution of step (C) comprises less than 1000 parts per million Ni 2+ ; and the process further comprising
(D) treating the Li + solution with a lithium selective extractant to produce a concentrated lithium salt solution.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the lithium selective extractant is 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester, neodecanoic acid, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

15. The process of claim 13 , wherein the lithium selective extractant further comprises a hydrocarbon.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of kerosene, paraffin, naphthene, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

17. The process of claim 13 , wherein the alkaline agent comprises calcium oxide, sodium hydroxide potassium hydroxide, ammonia, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

18. The process of claim 13 , wherein the nickel selective extractant is an oxime.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the oxime is selected from the group consisting of 5-nonylsalicylaldoxime, 5-dodecylsalicylaldoxime, 5-nonyl-2-hydroxyacetophenone oxime, and a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

20. The process of claim 1 , wherein prior to step (A) the process further comprises delithiating a LiNiO 2 compound.

Assignees

• Basf Corp

Inventors

• Mays William C
• Bender Jack
• Reichman Benjamin
• Wong Diana
• Dinn Tinoush
• Panchula Martin L
• Von Deak Dieter G

Classifications

• Y02W30/84

  Recycling of batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title

• C22B23/0461

  by chemical methods · 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