IP Library Granted Patent US 8,298,502
Granted Patent B2
US 8,298,502 · App. 12/829,440 · Granted Oct 30, 2012

Preparation method of lithium carbonate from lithium-ion secondary battery recovered material

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,298,502
App. No.
12/829,440
Granted
Oct 30, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A preparation method of lithium carbonate, in recovering valuable resources of a lithium-ion battery, reducing impurities from lithium carbonate, having a pretreatment process, comprising: a first step cleaning an organic phase containing nickel and lithium prepared by a solvent extraction by use of a sulfuric acid solution containing nickel and enriching lithium in the cleaning solution; a second step extracting a residual nickel only by an organic solvent from a post-cleaning solution in which the lithium is enriched; and a third step controlling pH of the post-extraction solution containing the lithium by ammonia water or lithium hydroxide.

Claims (11)

1. A preparation method of lithium carbonate, comprising:

a first step of providing a cleaning solution, and extracting nickel and lithium into an organic phase by solvent extraction, cleaning the organic phase with a sulfuric acid cleaning solution containing nickel, wherein lithium in the organic phase is transferred to the sulfuric acid cleaning solution, thereby obtaining a post-cleaning solution where lithium is enriched;

a second step of extracting residual nickel from the post-cleaning solution obtained in the first step by solvent extraction with an organic solvent from the post-cleaning solution, while controlling a pH of the post-cleaning solution by adding an alkaline agent; and

a third step of precipitating and recovering lithium carbonate by injecting carbon dioxide gas or adding other carbonation agents, while controlling the pH of the post-cleaning solution by adding a second alkaline agent, thereby recovering lithium carbonate.

2. The preparation method of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth step of cleaning the recovered lithium carbonate.

3. The preparation method of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent used in the second step is a carboxylic acid system extract agent.

4. The preparation method of claim 1 , wherein an equilibrium pH of the post-cleaning solution in the first step is 2 to 4.

5. The preparation method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the post-cleaning solution in the third step is controlled to 8 to 11.

6. The preparation method of claim 2 , wherein the lithium carbonate is cleaned at 60 to 95° C. in the fourth step.

7. The preparation method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of sodium in the recovered lithium carbonate is less or equal to 700 mass ppm.

8. The preparation method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline agent used in the second step is aqueous ammonia or lithium hydroxide.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 19, 2010
From: NIPPON MINING HOLDINGS, INC.
To: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025163/0049 →
MERGER Recorded Oct 14, 2010
From: NIPPON MINING & METALS CO., LTD.
To: NIPPON MINING HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025140/0159 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2010
From: YAMAOKA, TOSHIYUKI; HIGUCHI, NAOKI; NARISAKO, MAKOTO; KOBAYASHI, DAISUKE
To: NIPPON MINING & METALS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 024861/0022 →