Method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020216929-A1
Application number	US-201816641669-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Jul 9, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt, which is capable of efficiently and selectively separating copper, and nickel and cobalt from an alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt such as a highly anticorrosive alloy that is obtained by subjecting a waste lithium ion battery to a dry treatment and contains copper, nickel and cobalt. According to the present invention, an alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is brought into contact with an acid in the coexistence of a sulfurization agent, thereby obtaining a solid that contains copper and a leachate that contains nickel and cobalt.

First claim

1 . A method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt, the method comprising bringing an alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt into contact with an acid in coexistence of a sulfurization agent to obtain a solid containing copper and a leachate containing nickel and cobalt.

2 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the acid is hydrochloric acid.

3 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the sulfurization agent is one or more kinds selected from sulfur, hydrogen sulfide gas, sodium hydrogen sulfide and sodium sulfide.

4 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the acid and the sulfurization agent are brought into contact with the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt at the same time or the sulfurization agent is brought into contact with the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt and then the acid is brought into contact with the alloy.

5 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is an alloy obtained by heat-melting and reducing scraps of a lithium ion battery.

6 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is a powdery material and a particle size of the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is 300 μm or less.

7 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the solid containing copper and the leachate containing nickel and cobalt are separated, and then copper remaining in the leachate containing nickel and cobalt is removed.

8 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 7 , wherein copper remaining in the leachate containing nickel and cobalt is removed by one or more methods selected from sulfurization, electrolytic winning and neutralization precipitation.

9 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein the sulfurization agent is one or more kinds selected from sulfur, hydrogen sulfide gas, sodium hydrogen sulfide and sodium sulfide.

10 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein the acid and the sulfurization agent are brought into contact with the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt at the same time or the sulfurization agent is brought into contact with the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt and then the acid is brought into contact with the alloy.

11 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 3 , wherein the acid and the sulfurization agent are brought into contact with the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt at the same time or the sulfurization agent is brought into contact with the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt and then the acid is brought into contact with the alloy.

12 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is an alloy obtained by heat-melting and reducing scraps of a lithium ion battery.

13 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 3 , wherein the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is an alloy obtained by heat-melting and reducing scraps of a lithium ion battery.

14 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 4 , wherein the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is an alloy obtained by heat-melting and reducing scraps of a lithium ion battery.

15 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is a powdery material and a particle size of the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is 300 μm or less.

16 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 3 , wherein the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is a powdery material and a particle size of the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is 300 μm or less.

17 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 4 , wherein the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is a powdery material and a particle size of the alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is 300 μm or less.

18 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein the solid containing copper and the leachate containing nickel and cobalt are separated, and then copper remaining in the leachate containing nickel and cobalt is removed.

19 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 3 , wherein the solid containing copper and the leachate containing nickel and cobalt are separated, and then copper remaining in the leachate containing nickel and cobalt is removed.

20 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 4 , wherein the solid containing copper and the leachate containing nickel and cobalt are separated, and then copper remaining in the leachate containing nickel and cobalt is removed.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Metal Mining Co

Inventors

• Higaki Tatsuya
• Takenouchi Hiroshi
• Kobayashi Hiroshi
• Asano Satoshi

Classifications

• Y02W30/84

  Recycling of batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• C22B23/043

  Sulfurated acids or salts thereof · CPC title

• C22B23/005

  Preliminary treatment of ores, e.g. by roasting or by the Krupp-Renn process · CPC title

• C22B15/0071

  containing sulfur · CPC title

• C22B3/08 Primary

  Sulfuric acid {, other sulfurated acids or salts thereof} · CPC title