A cleaner and energy-saving technology of vacuum step-by-step reduction for recovering cobalt and nickel from spent lithium-ion batteries. (20th August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huang, Zhe; Zhu, Jie; Qiu, Ruijun; Ruan, Jujun; Qiu, Rongliang
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 229(2019)
• Page Start: 1148
• Page End: 1157
• Publication Date: 2019-08-20
• Subjects: Spent lithium-ion battery (power banks) -- Cobalt and nickel separation -- Vacuum step-by-step reduction -- Heat transfer models; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.049
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: Waste power banks (a kind of lithium-ion battery) are widely generated along with the growing widespread use of mobile phone. Vacuum carbon reduction is encouraged to recover cobalt and nickel from spent lithium-ion battery. However, the mixed nickel and cobalt particles are difficult to be further separated. Recovering cobalt and nickel respectively from the electrode powders is important to improve the recovery value of spent lithium-ion battery. According to the analysis of Gibbs free energy of the reduction process of Ni 2+ and Co 2+, we proposed a cleaner technology of step-by-step vacuum carbon reduction to recover nickel and cobalt in sequence from the electrode powder of spent lithium-ion batteries. The Ni 2+ and Co 2+ in the spent lithium-ion battery are reduced into nickel and cobalt in vacuum tubular furnace at the temperatures of 691 °C and 873 °C respectively. Nickel and cobalt can be separated in sequence by magnetic separation at the reduction products of different temperatures. Additionally, for energy saving and accurate reduction, we analyzed the heat transfer in the vacuum reduction process and constructed the models for computing the true temperature of electrode powder in crucible. The models are used to compute the accurate reduction temperatures for Co 2+ and Ni 2+ . It will greatly reduce the energy cost in the reduction process which be attributed to sustainable development. The models also can guide the structure design of vacuum tubular furnace for improving the efficiency of heat transfer. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: A cleaner technology was developed to recover nickel and cobalt from waste power banks. Models for the heat transfer during vacuum reduction were constructed to save energy. Nickel and cobalt were reduced at the optimized temperatures of 691 °C and 873 °C respectively.