Method for recovering transition metals from lithium secondary batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026042132-A1
Application number	US-202519295699-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2025
Priority date	Aug 12, 2024
Publication date	Feb 12, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery, a lithium-containing mixture is separated from a waste lithium-containing mixture to prepare a transition metal-containing mixture. The transition metal-containing mixture is treated with a first acidic solution to produce a first leachate. Transition metals excluding nickel are extracted from the first leachate to produce a second leachate. The second leachate is treated with a second acidic solution to adjust its pH. A nickel-containing solid is produced from the pH-adjusted second leachate. The nickel recovery yield from waste lithium secondary batteries may be improved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery, the method comprising:
separating a lithium-containing mixture from a waste lithium-containing mixture to prepare a transition metal-containing mixture; treating the transition metal-containing mixture with a first acidic solution to produce a first leachate; extracting transition metals excluding nickel from the first leachate to produce a second leachate; treating the second leachate with a second acidic solution to adjust its pH; and producing a nickel-containing solid from the pH-adjusted second leachate.

2 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the pH of the pH-adjusted second leachate is adjusted to less than 2.

3 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the pH of the pH-adjusted second leachate is adjusted to 1 or less.

4 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the second acidic solution comprises sulfuric acid.

5 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the second leachate comprises lithium in an amount of 0.4% by weight or less based on the total weight of the second leachate.

6 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 5 , wherein the amount of the lithium in the second leachate is less than 0.2% by weight based on the total weight of the second leachate.

7 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the second leachate comprises sodium in an amount of 0.4% by weight or less based on the total weight of the second leachate.

8 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 7 , wherein the amount of the sodium in the second leachate is less than 0.2% by weight based on the total weight of the second leachate.

9 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein separating the lithium-containing mixture from the waste lithium-containing mixture to prepare the transition metal-containing mixture comprises:
performing a hydrogen reduction treatment on the waste lithium-containing mixture to prepare a preliminary precursor mixture including the lithium-containing mixture and the transition metal-containing mixture; and separating the lithium-containing mixture from the preliminary precursor mixture to produce the transition metal-containing mixture.

10 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein in extracting the transition metals excluding nickel from the first leachate to produce the second leachate, the transition metals excluding nickel are extracted by a transition metal extractant preloaded with nickel.

11 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the transition metal extractant preloaded with nickel is produced by adding a nickel salt to a saponified transition metal extractant.

12 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein a ratio of a volume of the transition metal extractant preloaded with nickel to a volume of the first leachate is 1.2 to 2.0.

13 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein producing the nickel-containing solid comprises varying the temperature of the pH-adjusted second leachate.

14 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the transition metals excluding nickel comprise at least one of manganese and cobalt.

15 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 14 , wherein extracting the transition metals excluding nickel from the first leachate to produce the second leachate comprises sequentially extracting manganese and cobalt.

16 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , further comprising adding a basic salt to the first leachate to remove impurities.

17 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 16 , wherein a metal fluoride is further added to the first leachate.

18 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 11 , wherein the nickel salt includes at least one selected from a group consisting of nickel sulfate, nickel nitrate, nickel carbonate, nickel acetate, and nickel hydroxide.

19 . The method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery according to claim 16 , wherein the basic salt includes nickel hydroxide.

20 . A method for recovering transition metals from a lithium secondary battery, the method comprising:
preparing a transition metal-containing mixture from a waste mixture containing lithium by treating the waste mixture with hydrogen at a temperature of 400° C. to 700° C.; adding a first acidic solution and hydrogen peroxide simultaneously to the transition metal-containing mixture to produce a first leachate; subjecting the first leachate to an extraction process to extract transition metals and to form a second leachate; adding a second acidic solution to the second leachate; and separating a nickel-containing solid from the second leachate.

Assignees

• Sk Innovation Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Ji Yun
• Kwon Soo Jin
• Bae Hyun Tae
• Yoo Su Min
• Lee Hyeon Hui

Classifications

• C22B23/0461

  by chemical methods · CPC title

• C22B23/0438

  Nitric acids or salts thereof · CPC title

• C22B23/043

  Sulfurated acids or salts thereof · CPC title

• C22B23/0423

  Halogenated acids or salts thereof · CPC title

• C22B23/0415

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