Metal ion recovery device, metal recovery system, and metal ion recovery method

1 . A metal ion recovery device comprising:

a raw solution tank that is configured to store a metal ion containing raw solution including metal ions;

a recovery liquid tank that is configured to store a metal ion recovery liquid including metal ions recovered from the metal ion containing raw solution;

a metal ion selective permeable membrane that is a sintered body configured to be in contact with the metal ion containing raw solution on one side, to be in contact with the metal ion recovery liquid on another side, and to selectively transmit the metal ions from the metal ion containing raw solution to the metal ion recovery liquid;

an anode that is positioned to be in contact with the metal ion containing raw solution;

a cathode that is positioned to be in contact with the metal ion recovery liquid;

a first porous current collector that is formed of a conductive material and is in electrical connection with the metal ion selective permeable membrane and one of the anode and the cathode;

a first spacer that is configured to maintain a first gap between the metal ion selective permeable membrane and the one of the anode and the cathode, the first porous current collector being housed in the first gap; and

a second spacer that is configured to maintain a second gap between the metal ion selective permeable membrane and the other one of the anode and the cathode,

wherein the first spacer is a frame shape,

and the second spacer is a frame shape,

wherein at least one of the first spacer and the second spacer comprises:

an opening;

a recess portion surrounding the opening; and

a peripheral non-recessed portion,

wherein the metal ion selective permeable membrane is housed in the recess portion so as to be fitted therein, thereby preventing positional deviation of the metal ion selective permeable membrane; and

a load is uniformly applied to a laminate in which the anode, the first spacer, the metal ion selective permeable membrane, the second spacer, and the cathode are laminated in this order in a direction along a lamination direction by the first spacer and the second spacer, the load is applied to the non-recessed portion of the at least one of the first spacer and the second spacer, thereby reducing the load applied directly to the metal ion selective permeable membrane.

2 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the raw solution tank and the recovery liquid tank are alternately arranged in parallel through the metal ion selective permeable membrane.

3 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the metal ion is a lithium ion.

4 . A metal ion recovery device unit comprising:

a plurality of the metal ion recovery devices according to claim 1 ,

wherein each of the metal ion recovery devices is connected by a pipe connecting the raw solution tanks and a pipe connecting the recovery liquid tanks.

5 . A metal recovery system comprising:

the metal ion recovery device unit according to claim 4 ; and

a refining device that is connected to the recovery liquid tank of the metal ion recovery device unit and is configured to extract metal ions included in the metal ion recovery liquid as a solid, the solid containing a metal of the extracted metal ions.

6 . A metal ion recovery method comprising:

using the metal ion recovery device unit according to claim 4 ,

transmitting metal ions included in the metal ion containing raw solution stored in the raw solution tank of the metal ion recovery device unit through the metal ion selective permeable membrane, and

recovering the metal ions with the metal ion recovery liquid stored in the recovery liquid tank.

7 . A metal recovery system comprising:

the metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 ; and

a refining device that is connected to the recovery liquid tank of the metal ion recovery device and is configured to extract metal ions included in the metal ion recovery liquid as a solid, the solid containing a metal of the extracted metal ions.

8 . The metal recovery system of claim 7 ,

wherein the extracted metal ions are lithium ions and the solid is one or more of lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, and lithium metal.

9 . A metal ion recovery method comprising:

using the metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 ,

transmitting metal ions included in the metal ion containing raw solution stored in the raw solution tank of the metal ion recovery device through the metal ion selective permeable membrane, and

recovering the metal ions with the metal ion recovery liquid stored in the recovery liquid tank.

10 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a thickness of the first spacer is configured to be equal to a thickness of the first porous current collector after the first porous current collector is provided in the metal ion recovery device.

11 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a thickness of the first spacer is less than a thickness of the first porous current collector before the first porous current collector is provided in the metal ion recovery device.

12 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second porous current collector that is formed of the conductive material and is in electrical connection with the metal ion selective permeable membrane and the other one of the anode and the cathode

wherein the second porous current collector is housed in the second gap.

13 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 12 ,

wherein a thickness of the second spacer is configured to be equal to a thickness of the second porous current collector after the second porous current collector is provided in the metal ion recovery device.

14 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 12 ,

wherein a thickness of the second spacer is less than a thickness of the second porous current collector before the second porous current collector is provided in the metal ion recovery device.

15 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a cell housing portion having an inlet and an outlet through each of which one of the metal ion containing raw solution and the metal ion recovery liquid is flowable into and out of the metal ion recovery device; and

a cell lid portion coupled to the cell housing portion and having an inlet and an outlet through each of which the other one of the metal ion containing raw solution and the metal ion recovery liquid is flowable into and out of the metal ion recovery device,

wherein the first spacer is a first frame that is configured to form a portion of one of the raw solution tank and the recovery liquid tank, and

wherein each of the anode, the metal ion selective permeable membrane, the cathode, the first frame, and the first porous current collector are captured between the cell housing portion and the cell lid portion when the cell housing portion is coupled to the cell lid portion.

16 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 15 , further comprising:

a second porous current collector that is formed of the conductive material and is in electrical connection with the metal ion selective permeable membrane and the other one of the anode and the cathode;

a second frame that is configured to maintain a second gap between the metal ion selective permeable membrane and the other one of the anode and the cathode and to form a portion of the recovery liquid tank, the second porous current collector being housed in the second gap,

wherein each of the second porous current collector and the second frame are captured between the cell housing portion and the cell lid portion when the cell housing portion is coupled to the cell lid portion.

17 . The metal ion recovery device of claim 16 ,

wherein the cell housing portion and the cell lid portion are configured to house a laminate consisting of the cathode, the first frame, the first porous current collector, the metal ion selective permeable membrane, the second porous current collector, the second frame, and the anode.

18 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the metal ion selective permeable membrane is the sintered body formed of lithium lanthanum titanate.

19 . The metal ion recovery device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the number of the metal ion selective permeable membrane in the one laminate is one.