Recovery method for lithium precursor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022352571-A1
Application number	US-202017765216-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 18, 2020
Priority date	Oct 2, 2019
Publication date	Nov 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a recovery method for a lithium precursor according to embodiments of the present invention, a cathode active material mixture including a lithium composite oxide is prepared. The cathode active material mixture is reacted with a carbon-based solid material in an atmosphere of an inert gas to form a preliminary precursor mixture containing lithium oxide. A washing treatment of the preliminary precursor mixture is performed to separate a lithium precursor. The lithium precursor can be recovered with high yield and high efficiency.

First claim

1 . A method for recovering a lithium precursor, the method comprising:
preparing a cathode active material mixture including a lithium composite oxide; reacting the cathode active material mixture with a carbon-based solid material in an atmosphere of an inert gas to form a preliminary precursor mixture containing lithium oxide; and performing a washing treatment of the preliminary precursor mixture to separate a lithium precursor.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the formation of the preliminary precursor mixture is performed at a temperature from 740° C. or higher.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the formation of the preliminary precursor mixture is performed at a temperature from 840° C. to 1,200° C.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein lithium carbonate having an amount of 1/10 or less relative to a weight of lithium oxide is generated in the formation of the preliminary precursor mixture.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon-based solid material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon black, activated carbon, carbon fiber, carbon nanotube, graphene, natural graphite, artificial graphite, hard carbon and cokes.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert gas comprises argon or nitrogen.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the formation of the preliminary precursor mixture comprises dry mixing the cathode active material mixture and the carbon-based solid material.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the dry mixing is performed in a fluidized bed reactor.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the formation of the preliminary precursor mixture comprises reacting the cathode active material mixture and the carbon-based solid material in a weight ratio of 4:1 to 9:1.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the washing treatment comprises converting at least a portion of lithium oxide into lithium hydroxide.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the preliminary precursor mixture further comprises a transition metal-containing mixture, and
a lithium hydroxide aqueous solution is produced and the transition metal-containing mixture is precipitated by the washing treatment.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the washing treatment is performed in a carbon dioxide-free (CO 2 -free) atmosphere.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium composite oxide is represented by Chemical Formula 1:
Li x Ni a Co b M (1-a-b) O y   [Chemical Formula 1]
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, and 0<x≤1.1, 2≤y≤2.02, 0.5≤a≤1, 0≤b≤0.5.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode active material mixture is obtained from a waste lithium secondary battery.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein preparing the cathode active material mixture comprises:
separating a cathode including a cathode current collector, a cathode active material, a binder and a conductive material from the waste lithium secondary battery; and pulverizing the separated cathode or treating the separated cathode with an organic solvent to remove the cathode current collector.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere of the inert gas does not contain an oxidizing gas and a reductive gas.

Assignees

• Sk Innovation Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Suk Joon
• Kim Ji Min
• Son Sung Real
• Ha Dong Wook

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/54 Primary

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste 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