Method, apparatus, and system for lithium ion battery recycling
The present application provides a system and method for discharging and processing of lithium ion batteries to extract one or more metals. The extracted metals are in a powder form that can be reused at second stage processing facilities. The extracted metal powder can include lithium and at least one of cobalt, nickel, manganese, and carbon.
1. A battery processing method comprising:
hole punching electric vehicle (EV) batteries, wherein the hole punching affects a speed of electrolyte evaporation in the EV batteries and a processing time of the battery processing method;
depositing the hole-punched EV batteries in water for fire or fume mitigation;
discharging the hole-punched EV batteries by heat in a discharging kiln;
cooling the discharged and hole-punched EV batteries;
disassembling the cooled, discharged, and hole-punched EV batteries to separate into modules or cells;
shredding the modules or cells into mixed metal pieces;
magnetically separating iron (Fe) from the mixed metal pieces; and
pulverizing the mixed metal pieces into a mixed metal powder.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising air separating the mixed powder to separate aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) from the mixed metal powder.
3. A battery processing method comprising:
sorting a mixed chemistry of batteries comprising lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries and one or more of alkaline, nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) and nickel cadmium (Ni—Cd) batteries, such that the Li-ion batteries are separated from the one or more of alkaline, Ni-MH and Ni—Cd batteries;
removing packaging from the Li-ion batteries to expose Li-ion cells of the Li-ion batteries;
before discharging, puncturing the Li-ion cells, wherein the puncturing affects a speed of electrolyte evaporation of the Li-ion a processing time of the battery processing method, and wherein the puncturing of the Li-ion cells comprises hole punching the Li-ion cells;
depositing the hole punched Li-ion cells in water for fire or fume mitigation;
discharging the hole punched Li-ion cells by heat in a discharging kiln;
cooling the discharged and hole-punched Li-ion cells;
shredding the cooled, discharged, and hole-punched Li-ion cells into pieces;
removing iron (Fe) from the shredded pieces; and
pulverizing the remaining shredded pieces into a mixed powder including Li and at least one of selected from the group consisting of cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn) and carbon (C).
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising drying the discharged Li-ion cells after discharging the Li-ion cells in a salt solution.
5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising removing the Fe from the shredded pieces by magnetic separation.
6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising removing the packaging from the Li-ion batteries by crushing an outer plastic packaging that houses the Li-ion cells.
7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising air separating the mixed powder to separate aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) from the mixed powder.
8. The method of claim 3 , further comprising discharging the Li-ion cells by heating.