Methods for electrochemical cell remediation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020044296-A1
Application number	US-201916527884-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Jun 19, 2015
Publication date	Feb 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate generally to methods for the remediation of electrochemical cell electrodes. In some embodiments, a method includes obtaining an electrode material. At least a portion of the electrode material is rinsed to remove a residue therefrom. The electrode material is separated into constituents for reuse.

First claim

1 - 32 . (canceled)

33 . A method for electrode remediation, the method comprising:
obtaining a semi-solid electrode material by mechanically separating the semi-solid electrode material from a current collector, the semi-solid electrode material including an active material, a conductive additive, an electrolyte salt, and an electrolyte solvent, and is substantially free of a binder and current collector material after separation; rinsing the semi-solid electrode material with an organic solvent to remove the electrolyte salt and the electrolyte solvent from the active material and the conductive additive; and separating the semi-solid electrode material into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including the active material and the second portion including the conductive additive using at least one of air classification, field flow fractionation, and electrophoresis.

34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the semi-solid electrode material is a semi-solid depleted electrode material.

35 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the semi-solid electrode material is mechanically separated in the absence of a chemical.

36 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the semi-solid electrode material is binderless.

37 . The method of claim 33 , the method further comprising:
combining an additive with at least one of the separated constituents of the semi-solid electrode material to alter a stoichiometry and/or a crystallinity thereof; and heat treating the combined additive and at least one of the separated constituents of the semi-solid electrode material to form a remediated semi-solid electrode material.

38 . The method of claim 37 , further comprising:
incorporating the remediated semi-solid electrode material into an electrochemical cell.

39 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the semi-solid electrode material is a cathode material, and the heat treating is performed in an oxidizing or an inert atmosphere.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the semi-solid electrode material includes at least one of LiCoO 2 (“LCO”), Li(Ni, Mn, Co)O 2 (“NMC”), LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 (“NCA”), LiMn 2 O 4 (“LMO”), LiCoPO 4 (“LCP”), and LiNiPO 4 (“LNP”).

41 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the semi-solid electrode material comprises one of LiFePO 4 (“LFP”), LiMnPO 4 (“LMP”), LiMn 1−x Fe x PO 4 (“LMFP”), and Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (“LTO”).

42 . The method of claim 33 , further comprising:
loading the semi-solid electrode material into a treatment vessel.

43 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the rinsing is a first rinsing and the separating is a first separating, the method further comprising a second rinsing and a second separating.

44 . A method for recycling a binderless electrode material, the method comprising:
mechanically separating the binderless electrode material from a current collector in the absence of a chemical and with substantially no current collector material present in the binderless electrode material after separation; rinsing the binderless electrode material with an organic solvent to remove a residue; and separating the binderless electrode material into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including the active material and the second portion including the conductive additive using at least one of air classification, field flow fractionation, and electrophoresis.

45 . The method of claim 44 , further comprising:
combining an additive with at least one of the separated constituents to alter a stoichiometry and/or a crystallinity thereof.

46 . The method of claim 45 , wherein the binderless electrode material is a cathode material, and the additive is a lithium-containing additive.

47 . The method of claim 45 , further comprising:
heating the additive and at least one of the separated constituents to produce a remediated binderless electrode material.

48 . The method of claim 44 , wherein separating the binderless electrode material from the current collector includes using at least one of a centrifuge, air classification, filtration, sieving, sedimentation, field flow fractionation, and electrophoresis.

49 . The method of claim 44 , wherein rinsing the binderless electrode material includes immersing at least a portion of the binderless electrode material in the organic solvent.

50 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the residue includes at least a portion of an electrolyte salt, an electrolyte solvent, and a reaction product, including a solid electrolyte interphase material.

51 . A method for recycling an electrode material, the method comprising:
obtaining the electrode material by separating the electrode material from at least one of a current collector and a separator in the absence of heat and a chemical, the electrode material being substantially free of a binder and current collector material after separation; rinsing the electrode material with an organic solvent to remove at least a portion of an electrolyte salt, an electrolyte solvent, and a reaction product, the organic solvent including at least one of ethylmethyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, methyl propyl carbonate, ethyl propyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, butylmethyl carbonate, butylethyl carbonate, butylpropyl carbonate, y-butyrolactone, dimethoxyethane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, diethyl ether, sulfolane, methylsulfolane, acetonitrile, propiononitrile, ethyl acetate, methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, teraglyme, and 1,3-dioxolane; and separating the electrode material into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including active electrode material and the second portion including a conductive carbon material.

52 . The method of claim 51 , further comprising:
separating the electrode material into a third portion, the third portion including a metal.

53 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the reaction product is a solid electrolyte interphase material.

Assignees

• 24M Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Chiang Yet-Ming
• Woodford William
• Yu Hiuling Zoe

Classifications

• H01M10/54 Primary

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title

• H01M6/52 Primary

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

• Y02W30/84

  Recycling of batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title