Recycling of coated electrode materials
Examples are disclosed of methods to recycle coated positive-electrode material of a lithium-ion battery. One example provides a method including relithiating the coated positive-electrode material in a solution comprising lithium ions, and after relithiating, separating the coated positive-electrode material from the solution. In some examples, coated positive-electrode materials may be reinstated using lower process temperatures than uncoated positive-electrode material.
1. A method for processing coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material of a lithium battery, the method comprising:
separating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material from an electrode support by agitating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material and the electrode support in an acidic solution comprising a peroxide; and
forming a suspension of the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the suspension comprises forming a suspension comprising a solution of one or more of a nitrate, a surfactant, a citrate, an alcohol, an ether, pyridine, polyethylene oxide, and polyethylene imine.
3. A method of recycling a coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material of a lithium-ion battery the method comprising:
relithiating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material in a solution comprising lithium hydroxide and a peroxide via a solvo-thermal process;
after relithiating, separating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material from the solution; and
rinsing the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material in an acidic solution.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a solvent used in the solvo-thermal process comprises one or more of water, an ionic liquid, DMSO, an alcohol, and a solution comprising polyether.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the solution for relithiating comprises ethylene carbonate, and wherein the ethylene carbonate floats carbonaceous materials from the solution.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the solution comprises soluble lithium ions, the soluble lithium ions comprising one or more of lithium fluoride, lithium triflate, lithium sulfate, and lithium sulfite.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the solution further comprises one or more of oxygen, a permanganate, a nitrate, a sulfite, and a phosphate.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein relithiating comprises heating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material in the solution under pressure in an autoclave.
9. The method of claim 3 , further comprising reusing the solution for relithiating in a subsequent reaction or in a continuous feed.
10. The method of claim 3 , wherein rinsing comprises one or more of:
rinsing with one or more of ammonium hydroxide, TBAOH, and methanol; and
rinsing with a nonaqueous solvent comprising one or more of methanol, ethanol, isopropol alcohol, t-butanol, n-butanol, glycol, polyethelene glycol, bromoform, di-bromomethane, bromal, tetraboro-methane, bromine, di-bromoethane; solutions of ammonium metatungstate, sodium polytungstate, and potassium tetraiodomercurate(II).
11. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, after rinsing, drying the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material in a vacuum.
12. The method of claim 3 , wherein separating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material from the solution comprises forming a suspension of the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material utilizing a solution comprising one or more of a nitrate, a surfactant, a citrate, an alcohol, an ether, pyridine, polyethylene oxide, and/or polyethylene imine.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material comprises a spinel material, the method further comprising, after separating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material, heating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material at a temperature of 100° C.-900° C.
14. The method of claim 3 , wherein relithiating comprises utilizing a screw-feed system, the method further comprising applying one or more rinsing stages within the screw-feed system to remove excess reagents and impurities.
15. A method of recycling a coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material of a lithium-ion battery the method comprising:
relithiating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material in a solution comprising lithium hydroxide and a peroxide by heating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material in the solution under pressure in an autoclave; and
after relithiating, separating the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material from the solution; and
rinsing the coated nickel-containing positive-electrode material in an acidic solution.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxide comprises one or more of hydrogen peroxide and lithium peroxide.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acidic solution has a pH of greater than or equal to 3.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the solution comprises one or more of water, an ionic liquid, DMSO, an alcohol, and a solution comprising polyether, as a solvent.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the solution for relithiating comprises ethylene carbonate, and wherein the ethylene carbonate floats carbonaceous materials from the solution.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising reusing the solution for relithiating in a subsequent reaction or in a continuous feed.