Method of recycling nickel from waste battery material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023323507-A1
Application number	US-202118040744-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2021
Priority date	Aug 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 12, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is described for recycling nickel from waste battery material. The method includes providing waste battery material comprising a nickel-containing oxide, reducing the nickel in the waste battery material to the zero oxidation state to provide a reduced waste battery material, reacting the reduced waste battery material with carbon monoxide to form Ni(CO)4, and reacting the Ni(CO)4 with a source of sulfate to form NiSO4. The NiSO4 product is useful as a nickel feedstock in various processes which require a nickel source, including processes which prepare new battery materials.

First claim

1 . A method of recycling nickel from waste battery material comprising:
(a) providing waste battery material comprising a nickel-containing compound; (b) reducing at least some of the nickel in the waste battery material to the zero oxidation state to provide a reduced waste battery material; (c) reacting the reduced waste battery material with carbon monoxide to form Ni(CO) 4 ; and (d) reacting the Ni(CO) 4 with a source of sulfate to form NiSO 4 .

2 . (canceled)

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nickel-containing compound is a mixed oxide further comprising one or more of lithium, cobalt and manganese and optionally further comprising one or more of iron, aluminium, copper and carbon.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein reducing the nickel comprises contacting the waste battery material with a reducing gas comprising H 2 , wherein the contacting with the reducing gas is carried out at a temperature of at least 500° C.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising cooling the reduced waste battery material from the temperature of at least 500° C. to a temperature of from 45 to 85° C. after reduction and before reacting the reduced waste battery material with carbon monoxide.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the reducing gas further comprises carbon monoxide.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein reacting the reduced waste battery material with carbon monoxide is carried out at a temperature of from 45 to 85° C.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein reacting the reduced waste battery material with carbon monoxide is carried out at an absolute pressure of from 110 kPa to 200 kPa.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein reacting the reduced waste battery material with carbon monoxide is carried out at a temperature of from 140 to 200° C.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein reacting the reduced waste battery material with carbon monoxide is carried out at a pressure of from 6 MPa to 8 MPa.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source of sulfate is H 2 SO 4 such that the Ni(CO) 4 is reacted with the H 2 SO 4 to form the NiSO 4 .

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the H 2 SO 4 is an aqueous solution having a concentration of from 10 to 35% based on the total mass of the solution.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein reacting the Ni(CO) 4 with H 2 SO 4 is carried out at under the same pressure as applied during the reaction of the reduced waste battery material with carbon monoxide.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein reacting the Ni(CO) 4 with H 2 SO 4 is carried out under conditions of temperature and pressure in which Ni(CO) 4 is gaseous.

16 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising recycling at least some of the H 2 which is generated as a by-product of the reaction between Ni(CO) 4 and H 2 SO 4 , wherein the recycled H 2 is fed back into the process.

17 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising recycling at least some of the CO which is generated as a by-product of the reaction between Ni(CO) 4 and H 2 SO 4 , wherein the recycled CO is fed back into the process to react with the reduced waste battery material.

18 . (canceled)

19 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein reacting the Ni(CO) 4 with the H 2 SO 4 to form the NiSO 4 is done in the presence of HNO 3 in addition to the H 2 SO 4 .

20 . (canceled)

21 . (canceled)

22 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a formic acid leaching process before or after step (b).

23 . A method of recycling nickel from a waste battery material, wherein the method comprises:
reacting a composition comprising reduced battery material with carbon monoxide to form Ni(CO) 4 , wherein the reduced battery material comprises nickel in the zero oxidation state; and reacting the Ni(CO) 4 with a source of sulfate to form NiSO 4 .

Assignees

• Johnson Matthey Plc

Inventors

• Breeze Barbara
• Browne Michael
• Eade Benjamin
• Schofield Emma
• Vandaele Koen

Classifications

• C22B23/021 Primary

  by reduction in solid state, e.g. by segregation processes · CPC title

• H01M10/054

  Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium · CPC title

• C22B7/002

  by treating with halogens, sulfur or compounds thereof; by carburising, by treating with hydrogen (hydriding) · CPC title

• C22B7/007

  by acid leaching · CPC title

• C22B23/0415

  with acids or salt solutions except ammonium salts solutions · CPC title