Recovery of lithium from the batteries via enhanced chemical transformations using waste carbon and water leaching
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB - Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 500 000 |
| Project duration | June 2021 - November 2021 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | The strategic innovation programme for Swedish mining and metal producing industry - SIP Swedish Mining Innovation |
| Call | Tackling sustainability, environmental and climate challenges in the mining and metals industry |
Important results from the project
In this project, thermal pre-treatment using different source of carbon for lithium transformation were applied. Not to add the additional cost to the process, graphite and polymers. Thermally treated material was then leached with a water to recover Li in a form of lithium carbonate. Calcination process allowed for 93% of Li recovery when the polymers were applied. This was achieved after a leaching with a water. The only impurity was Al, which represented around 2%. Thus, directly after the leaching process achieved purity of the product was 98% without any additional purification.
Expected long term effects
1.Maximize lithium transformation. This objective was fulfilled as 93% of lithium was recovered. 2.Minimize waste generation via utilization carbon recovered from the batteries .This objective was also successfully fulfilled. 3. Recover Li via water leaching prior mineral acid leaching. This objective was also met. Li if a form of lithium carbonate and fluoride was leached with a water. 4.Purify lithium to battery grade: 99.95% via novel extractant. Solvent extraction with Cyanex 936P purifies product to 99.98%.
Approach and implementation
The project had four work packages. Chalmers was the coordinator. Results were presented at four national and international conferences and one article. Rest of the results will be published in two manuscripts and one licentiate.