Cobalt Extraction from Depleted Lithium-Ion Batteries and Its Leaching Kinetics | Chapter 1 | Recent Developments in Chemistry and Biochemistry Research Vol. 11

Rechargeable batteries called lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) use the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. Lithium-ion phosphate, lithium nickel oxide, lithium manganese oxide, and lithium cobalt oxide are among the different types of lithium batteries, making up the majority of LIBs cathode while LiNixCoyMnzO2 cathode material is commonly used in modern car batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are frequently employed as rechargeable batteries, driving most electronics and electric cars, significantly increasing the quantity of utilized LIBs. Hence, ecosystems may be threatened by these used LIBs, due to the presence of heavy metals and poisonous electrolytes. Hence, for sound protection and financial considerations, it is highly essential to develop an efficient method to recycle used LIBs with the aim of preventing hazardous compounds from entering the ecosystem endangering people's health and recovering valuable metal. The study concentrated on cobalt recovery using hydrometallurgical and thermal treatment techniques that enhanced a high rate of recovery, low energy use, and less waste production. Used LIBs of mobile phones, were collected from phone repairing shops in Nyeri town, Keny = Hydrometallurgical process which involves acid leaching using mineral acids and organic acids was applied by using H₂O₂ as a reductant. Sodium chloride 4% wt. (of analytical grade) for discharging the batteries and sodium hydroxide 10% wt. (of analytical grade) for dissolution of aluminium foil charge collectors were prepared using deionized water. The leaching process was optimized by varying parameters (type of acid, acid concentration, reductant dosage, time, and temperature). Cobalt ion concentration level in liquor was analysed via ICP - OES, and finally cobalt was extracted from the leachate liquor via precipitation. XRF analysis showed that cathode active material has the highest composition of 61.72% cobalt and other valuable metals like 12.11%Ni and 9.64%Mn, hence is a need to recycle the cathode active material to recover the valuable metals and minimize chances of heavy metals release into the environment. Optimum conditions for leaching cobalt from cathode material were as follows: 80^∘C, 120 minutes, 1.5%v/v of H₂O₂, for both 3M₂SO₄ and 2MC₆H₈O₇. The cobalt leaching followed the chemical reaction model, with the best satisfactory regression coefficient fitting values above 0.98 and activation energy as 21.84 and 7.89 kJ/mol, and percentage recovery of 82.75% and 67.47% while using 3M₂SO₄ and 2MC₆H₈O₇ respectively.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Alfred Obaje
Department of Chemistry, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Private Bag - 10143, Dedan Kimathi, Nyeri, Kenya.

 

Douglas Onyancha
Department of Chemistry, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Private Bag - 10143, Dedan Kimathi, Nyeri, Kenya.

Samuel Mirie
Department of Chemistry, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Private Bag - 10143, Dedan Kimathi, Nyeri, Kenya.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/rdcbr/v11/3635

Pre-treatment and Classification of Cathode Active Material from Used Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) | Chapter 2 | Chemical and Materials Sciences: Developments and Innovations Vol. 10

In portable devices and electric cars, lithium batteries have become more common due to their benefits in environmentally friendly operations, high energy density, extended storage life compact volume, lightweight, vast range of application temperatures, and low self-release of power efficiency. The development of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for use in electric vehicles, portable electronic devices, and energy-storage devices has resulted in an increase in the quantity of used LIBs. The environment and public health are seriously endangered by the hazardous metals found in spent LIBs, for example, Cobalt and Manganese metals, with a poisonous caustic electrolyte, and binders of organic origin. Based on these factors, procedures for recycling LIBs that are efficient, affordable, also benign to the environment are being developed in order to ensure a long-term sustainable future solution. In this research, used lithium batteries were released into a sodium chloride solution with a lower concentration, manual dismantling of LIBs components, and separations of components such as cathode, anode, plastic casing, separators, and electrolyte. Also, the dissolution of cathode material in sodium hydroxide solutions and finally characterized the cathode electrode, using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and diethyl carbonate (DEC) particles in raw cathode material, detected by Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis, were effectively thermally decomposed at 464.98 °C and 150 °C respectively. The XRF analysis of thermally treated cathode material powder showed the presence of: 61.72 % of Co, 12.11 % of Ni, 9.64 % of Mn, and 16.53 % of other components. The FT-IR analysis and thermogravimetric analysis, clearly showed the presence of Polyvinylidene fluoride and Diethyl carbonate, this can be successfully eliminated through thermal disintegration as evidenced by TGA analysis.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Alfred Obaje
Department of Chemistry, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Private Bag - 10143, Dedan Kimathi, Nyeri, Kenya.

 

Douglas Onyancha
Department of Chemistry, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Private Bag - 10143, Dedan Kimathi, Nyeri, Kenya.

 

Samuel Mirie
Department of Chemistry, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Private Bag - 10143, Dedan Kimathi, Nyeri, Kenya.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cmsdi/v10/3636