Recovery of valuable materials from spent lithium ion batteries using electrostatic separation

Abstract

Continuing industrial development results in ever greater consumption of products and materials. These include electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) such as mobile phones and, consequently, lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Therefore, an efficient and environmentally friendly recycling technology is vital for the recovery of valuable materials from spent LIBs. This work describes an alternative process for the recovery of these materials, using mechanical processing and electrostatic separation. Firstly, the batteries are dismantled and their components are characterized. This is followed by comminution, drying (to remove the organic electrolyte), separation according to particle size, and electrostatic separation of the conductive and nonconductive parts of the LIBs. Parameters evaluated in the electrostatic separation were the electrode voltage, roll rotation speed, distance of the electrostatic electrode, and the inclination angle of the deflector. The results showed recovery of a conductive fraction containing 98.98% of metals and a nonconductive fraction containing 99.6% of polymers, demonstrating that electrostatic separation is a promising and efficient method for the recovery of high purity materials from spent LIBs.