Method and electrochemical system for recycling spent lithium-ion battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024279831-A1
Application number	US-202218042830-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 1, 2022
Priority date	Sep 28, 2021
Publication date	Aug 22, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery, including the following steps: sandwiching a cathode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material as a cathode of a primary battery system; sandwiching an anode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material as an anode of the primary battery system; injecting an acid solution into a chamber of the primary battery system; and carrying out, after an electrochemical reaction is completed, solid-liquid separation on a mixed liquor in the chamber. The present invention further discloses an electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery. The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery in the present invention requires only dismantlement of cathode and anode materials, without a series of complex pretreatment operations on the cathode materials of the spent lithium-ion battery. In addition, by the method, the cathodes and anodes of the spent lithium-ion battery can be recycled at the same time, and valuable elements can be separated, which is greatly improved compared with the electrolytic leaching method. Moreover, there is no need to add an external power supply, which saves energy and can also output electricity.

First claim

1 . A method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery, comprising the following steps:
sandwiching a cathode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material as a cathode of a primary battery system; sandwiching an anode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material as an anode of the primary battery system; injecting an acid solution into a chamber of the primary battery system; and carrying out, after an electrochemical reaction is completed, solid-liquid separation on a mixed liquor in the chamber.

2 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive acid-resistant material is provided with pores.

3 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 2 , wherein the conductive acid-resistant material comprises at least one of platinum, gold, palladium, lead, titanium, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, graphite, glassy carbon, carbon fiber, graphene, carbon cloth, and carbon felt.

4 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein a cathode active substance in the cathode comprises one or more of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium iron phosphate, and lithium nickel-cobalt manganese oxide.

5 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein an anode current collector in the anode is copper foil, and an anode active substance in the anode comprises one or more of graphite, active carbon, and lithium titanate.

6 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein the acid solution is organic acid or inorganic acid;
the organic acid comprises one or more of formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, caprylic acid, adipic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, tartaric acid, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, phthalic acid, terephthalic acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, capric acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, acrylic acid, ascorbic acid, and malic acid; the inorganic acid comprises one or more of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and phosphoric acid.

7 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 6 , wherein the concentration of the acid solution is 0.1 M to 5 M.

8 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 6 , wherein when the acid solution is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or phosphoric acid, the concentration of the acid solution is 0.5 M to 2 M; when the acid solution is nitric acid, the concentration of the acid solution is 1 M to 5 M; and when the acid solution is organic acid, the concentration of the acid solution is 1 M to 5 M.

9 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein a separator for separating the cathode and the anode is further provided in the chamber of the primary battery system.

10 - 11 . (canceled)

12 . The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 9 , wherein an external power supply is further added in an external circuit of the primary battery system, the cathode of the primary battery system is in communication with a cathode of the external power supply, and the anode of the primary battery system is in communication with an anode of the external power supply.

13 . An electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery, comprising an electrolyzer, a cathode, and an anode, wherein the electrolyzer is filled with an electrolyte, the cathode and the anode are electrically connected by a wire, and both the cathode and the anode are immersed in the electrolyte, wherein the cathode is obtained by sandwiching a cathode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material, the anode is obtained by sandwiching an anode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material, and the electrolyte is an acid solution.

14 . The electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 13 , wherein the conductive acid-resistant material is provided with pores.

15 . The electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 14 , wherein the conductive acid-resistant material comprises at least one of platinum, gold, palladium, lead, titanium, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, graphite, glassy carbon, carbon fiber, graphene, carbon cloth, and carbon felt.

16 . The electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 13 , wherein a plurality of cathodes or anodes of the spent lithium-ion battery are sandwiched in the conductive acid-resistant material.

17 . The electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 13 , wherein a cathode active substance in the cathode comprises one or more of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium iron phosphate, and lithium nickel-cobalt manganese oxide.

18 . The electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 13 , wherein an anode current collector in the anode is copper foil, and an anode active substance in the anode comprises one or more of graphite, active carbon, and lithium titanate.

19 . The electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 13 , wherein a separator for separating the cathode and anode is further provided in the electrolyzer.

20 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . The electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 19 , wherein there are a plurality of cathodes, anodes, and separators, and the plurality of cathodes, anodes, and separators are arranged in the electrolyzer in the repetitive sequence of cathode/separator/anode/separator/cathode/separator/anode.

23 . The electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery according to claim 19 , wherein an external power supply is further connected onto a circuit between the cathode and the anode, the cathode is in communication with a cathode of the external power supply, and the anode is in communication with an anode of the external power supply.

Assignees

• Univ East China Science & Tech

Inventors

• Gu shuai
• Fu Tongtong
• Guo Zirui
• Yu Jianguo

Classifications

• H01M6/52

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

• H01M10/0525

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

• C22B23/0423

  Halogenated acids or salts thereof · CPC title

• C22B3/08

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

• C21B15/00

  Other processes for the manufacture of iron from iron compounds (by electrolysis C25C1/06) · CPC title