Metals Recovery from Spent Lithium-ion Batteries Cathode Via Hydrogen Reduction-water Leaching-carbothermic or Hydrogen Reduction Process

Abstract

In the present paper, the recovery of mixed spent cathodes is evaluated and performed through a hydrogen reduction process. Firstly, the lithium is isolated by the hydrogen reduction process as LiOH at 600 \(\mathrm{^\circ{\rm C} }\) for 15 min with 10% H₂ with a flow rate of 350 ml/min. In the second step, 98.37% Li is recovered through water-leaching of hydrogen reduction products at 100 \(\mathrm{^\circ{\rm C} }\) for 90 min with 50 ml/g. The filtration residual is reduced by using a carbothermic reduction process and a hydrogen reduction method. The first one is performed under an Ar atmosphere at 900 \(\mathrm{^\circ{\rm C} }\) for 210 min and the second one is conducted at 800 \(\mathrm{^\circ{\rm C} }\) for 150 min. The purer products are achieved using the hydrogen reduction method at lower temperatures and shorter holding times compared to a carbothermic reduction process with recovery percentages of 100%, 99.06%, and 70% for Ni, Co, and Mn, respectively. Given the importance of reducing the emission of toxic gases, the hydrogen reduction process is also a promising method for metal recycling. The obtained results also demonstrated that Li, Co, Ni, and Mn can be effectively separated from the mixed cathode material through the hydrogen reduction process as a sustainable and environmentally friendly recycling process. This study provides an impressive understanding of the hydrogen reduction process and valuable guidance for a larger-scale hydrogen reduction process.