Methods and systems for reclamation of Li-ion cathode materials using microwave plasma processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12406829-B2
Application number	US-202217647422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2022
Priority date	Jan 11, 2021
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems and methods for recycling used solid feedstocks containing lithium powders for use in lithium-ion batteries. The used solid feedstocks may be Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) materials. In some embodiments, the used solid feedstock can undergo a microwave plasma process to produce a newly usable, lithium supplemented solid precursor with augmented chemistries and physical properties.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for synthesizing lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) powder in a microwave plasma apparatus, the method comprising:
providing a feedstock to the microwave plasma apparatus, the feedstock comprising end-of-life NMC powder, the end-of-life NMC powder having an average nickel to cobalt ratio of 5:2 or less; and
introducing the feedstock into a microwave-generated plasma of the microwave plasma apparatus to synthesize an NMC powder having an average nickel to cobalt ratio greater than 5:2.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing nickel containing material, manganese containing material, or cobalt containing material into the microwave-generated plasma concurrently with introducing the feedstock into the microwave-generated plasma.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a microstructure of the end-of-life NMC powder comprises one or more imperfections, cracks, or fissures, and wherein introducing the feedstock into the microwave-generated plasma melts the end-of-life NMC powder.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a microstructure of the synthesized NMC powder does not comprise the one or more imperfections, cracks, or fissures.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing lithium (Li) containing material into the microwave-generated plasma concurrently introducing the feedstock into the microwave-generated plasma.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end-of-life NMC powder comprises NMC-532 or NMC-111.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding lithium (Li) containing material to the feedstock prior to introducing the feedstock into the microwave-generated plasma.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end-of-life NMC powder is obtained from a used lithium-ion battery.

9. A method for synthesizing lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) powder in a microwave plasma apparatus, the method comprising:
providing a feedstock to the microwave plasma apparatus, the feedstock comprising end-of-life NMC powder, the end-of-life NMC powder and having an average nickel to cobalt ratio of 5:2 or less; and
introducing the end-of-life NMC powder into a microwave-generated plasma of the microwave plasma apparatus to synthesize an NMC powder,
wherein the end-of-life NMC powder is not reduced to its constituent elements prior to introducing the end-of-life NMC powder into the microwave-generated plasma.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising introducing nickel containing material into the microwave-generated plasma concurrently with introducing the feedstock into the microwave-generated plasma.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a microstructure of the end-of-life NMC powder comprises one or more imperfections, cracks, or fissures, and wherein introducing the feedstock into the microwave-generated plasma melts the end-of-life NMC powder.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a microstructure of the synthesized NMC powder does not comprise the one or more imperfections, cracks, or fissures.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising introducing lithium (Li) containing material into the microwave-generated plasma concurrently introducing the feedstock into the microwave-generated plasma.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the end-of-life NMC powder comprises NMC-532 or NMC-111.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adding lithium (Li) containing material to the feedstock prior to introducing the feedstock into the microwave-generated plasma.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the end-of-life NMC powder is obtained from a used lithium-ion battery.

Assignees

• 6K Inc

Inventors

• Holman Richard K
• Wrobel Gregory M

Classifications

• H01J37/3255

  Material · CPC title

• H01J2237/0817

  Microwaves · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01J37/32201 Primary

  Generating means · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title