Method for recovering lithium precursor from waste lithium secondary battery positive electrode material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12258279-B2
Application number	US-202118255807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2021
Priority date	Dec 2, 2020
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A method for reducing waste by recovering a lithium precursor including: a) mixing a waste lithium secondary battery positive electrode material with urea to prepare a first mixture; b) firing the first mixture to prepare a second mixture; and c) subjecting the second mixture to water washing to obtain lithium hydroxide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for reducing waste by recovering a lithium precursor, the method comprising:
a) dry mixing a waste lithium secondary battery positive electrode material with urea reducing agent to prepare a first mixture;
b) firing the first mixture to prepare a second mixture containing lithium hydroxide, wherein the firing is performed solely in an inert atmosphere and the firing temperature ranges from 450° C. to 650° C.; and
c) mixing the second mixture with water to provide an aqueous solution containing a lithium precursor.

2. The method for reducing waste of claim 1 , wherein the mixing the second mixture with water is performed at temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 90° C.

3. The method for reducing waste of claim 1 , wherein a lithium hydroxide aqueous solution is produced through the mixing the second mixture with water.

4. The method for reducing waste of claim 1 , wherein the subjecting further includes crystallizing lithium hydroxide.

5. The method for reducing waste of claim 1 , wherein the urea is mixed in an amount ranging from 5 to 50 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the positive electrode material.

6. The method for reducing waste of claim 1 , wherein the positive electrode material is represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:
Li x Ni a Co b M (1-a-b) O y

wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, M is selected from the group consisting of Mn, Na, Mg, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ge, Sr, Ag, Ba, Zr, Nb, Mo, Al, Ga, and B, 0<x≤1.1, 2≤y≤2.02, 0.5≤a≤1, and 0≤b≤0.5.

7. The method for reducing waste of claim 1 , wherein a recovery rate of lithium hydroxide from the waste lithium secondary battery positive electrode material is 50% or more.

8. A method for reducing waste by recovering a lithium precursor from a waste lithium secondary battery positive electrode material, the method comprising:
a) pulverizing the waste lithium secondary battery positive electrode material to produce a pulverized mixture containing lithium;
b) dry mixing the pulverized mixture with urea reducing agent to produce a first mixture;
c) firing the first mixture to obtain a preliminary precursor mixture containing the lithium, wherein the firing is performed solely in an inert atmosphere and the firing temperature ranges from 450° C. to 650° C.;
d) mixing the preliminary precursor mixture with water to produce an aqueous solution containing lithium hydroxide.

Assignees

• Sk Innovation Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Sukjoon
• Park Jiyun
• Yoon Jeongbae
• Lee Seungok
• Kim Jimin
• Son Sungreal

Classifications

• H01M6/52

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

• H01M10/54 Primary

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M4/505

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title

• H01M4/525

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy · CPC title