Lithium Recovery from Used EV Batteries
112 patents in this list
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Lithium-ion battery recycling presents significant material recovery challenges, with current processes achieving lithium extraction rates between 50-80% from end-of-life batteries. The black mass from shredded batteries contains valuable lithium compounds intermixed with other metals, electrolytes, and organic materials, requiring precise separation techniques to isolate high-purity lithium suitable for battery remanufacturing.
The fundamental challenge lies in developing extraction methods that can efficiently separate lithium from complex material mixtures while maintaining the purity levels required for battery-grade materials.
This page brings together solutions from recent research—including acid leaching processes, lithium phosphate precipitation techniques, electrolyte-based recovery systems, and integrated recycling-to-cathode manufacturing methods. These and other approaches focus on maximizing lithium recovery while minimizing energy consumption and process waste.
1. Lithium Extraction from Black Mass of Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries Using pH and Iron Concentration Adjustment
Li-Cycle Corp., 2023
Recycling lithium from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are a type of lithium-ion battery. The recycling process involves extracting lithium from black mass material derived from LFP batteries. The method includes adjusting pH and iron concentration of the black mass slurry, separating out ferrous phosphate, processing the resulting solutions to concentrate lithium sulfate, and precipitating lithium compounds for recovery.
2. Lithium Extraction from Spent Batteries Using Electrochemical Plating and Aqueous Solvent
Iowa State Univeresity Research Foundation,Inc, 2023
An efficient green method for extracting lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries to solve the resource scarcity challenge. The method uses the lithium plating phenomenon that occurs during fast charging of end-of-life batteries to concentrate lithium at the anode/separator interface. This concentrated lithium is then recovered using water as the extraction solvent. The recovery process involves electrochemically charging the spent battery at high rates to induce lithium plating, which deposits metallic lithium at the anode. Extracting the concentrated lithium from the plated film and SEI layer using water only, no acids or bases, achieves over 90% lithium recovery compared to conventional recycling methods.
3. Closed-Loop Lithium Extraction Process Using Organic Acid Leaching and Distillation
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2022
Closed-loop recycling process for lithium from lithium-ion battery cathode materials that selectively extracts lithium from a recycling stream containing lithium and transition metals. The process involves leaching the lithium with an organic acid that dissolves lithium but not the transition metals. The leach solution is then distilled to separate the dissolved lithium. The distilled lithium solution is sintered to form lithium carbonate powder that can be washed and filtered to obtain highly pure lithium carbonate. This closed-loop process provides efficient and selective recovery of lithium from battery recycling waste.
4. Aqueous Process for Lithium Recovery from Waste Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Carbon Dioxide-Induced Leaching
KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, 2022
Recovering lithium from waste lithium-ion batteries using an aqueous process. The process involves immersing the battery active material in water and bubbling carbon dioxide. This leaches lithium from the material as soluble lithium compounds into the water. The pH is controlled to suppress aluminum leaching. The solution is then crystallized to recover lithium carbonate.
5. Lithium Extraction from Battery Black Mass Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide in Fluidized Bed Reactor
GOODMAN JONATHAN, NOVALITH TECH PTY LTD, NOVALITH TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD, 2024
Extracting lithium from black mass (BM) leftover from lithium-ion batteries using a simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly process. The process involves comminuting BM in water, then mixing it with supercritical carbon dioxide and extracting lithium carbonate/bicarbonate using a fluidized bed reactor at high temperature and pressure. The BM is separated, leaving behind lithium-leached BM and a leachate containing lithium carbonate/bicarbonate. This extracts lithium without pre-treatment, has lower energy, chemical usage, and waste compared to traditional methods.
6. Integrated System and Method for Lithium Metal Phosphate Synthesis via Lithium Extraction and Battery Recycling
Rivian IP Holdings, LLC, 2024
Lithium metal phosphate manufacturing system and method that synergize lithium metal phosphate production, lithium extraction, and lithium ion battery recycling. The system involves extracting lithium from battery black mass using acid leaching, precipitating lithium phosphate from the leach solution, and mixing it with metal phosphates to form lithium metal phosphate precursor. This is then milled, calcined, and roasted to produce lithium metal phosphate cathode material for batteries. The process reduces waste, cost, and energy compared to separate production routes.
7. Lithium Extraction Process from High Nickel Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass Using Dilute Sulfuric Acid Leaching
ASCEND ELEMENTS INC, 2024
Recycling lithium from high nickel lithium-ion batteries like those used in electric vehicles, by selectively extracting lithium while leaving behind impurities like nickel, cobalt, and manganese. The recycling involves mixing the spent battery black mass with a dilute sulfuric acid solution in a molar ratio based on the lithium content. The mixture is heated and stirred to leach lithium. Impurities are removed by filtration and concentration steps to yield a crystalline lithium sulfate product.
8. Integrated Process for Synthesis of Lithium Metal Phosphate Cathode Material from Recycled Battery Lithium Extraction and Phosphate Precipitation
Rivian IP Holdings, LLC, 2024
Integrated process for producing lithium metal phosphate cathode material for lithium-ion batteries using lithium extraction from recycled batteries and lithium phosphate synthesis. The process involves leaching lithium from recycled battery black mass to form a lithium solution. This lithium solution is then precipitated with phosphate to make lithium phosphate. The recycled metal phosphate and the lithium phosphate are mixed and processed to form the lithium metal phosphate cathode material. This integrates lithium extraction, phosphate synthesis, and lithium battery recycling into a single process to reduce cost and improve efficiency.
9. Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Recycling via Auxiliary Alkali Leaching with Calcined Iron Sulfide
CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY, UNIV CENTRAL SOUTH, 2024
Recycling waste lithium-ion battery cathode materials using an auxiliary alkali leaching process to improve lithium extraction efficiency under normal pressure. The process involves leaching lithium from waste cathode materials using an alkali solution assisted by a specific iron source. This iron source, obtained by calcining iron sulfide at certain temperatures and times, enhances the normal pressure alkaline leaching of lithium compared to using alkali alone. The iron source is created by calcining iron sulfide at temperatures between 500-900°C for 10-60 minutes. The iron source helps improve the lithium leaching efficiency at normal pressure.
10. Method for Lithium Recovery from Waste Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes via Selective Leaching and Stepwise Impurity Separation
NINGBO RONBAY LITHIUM BATTERY MATERIAL CO LTD, NINGBO RONBAY LITHIUM BATTERY MATERIALS CO LTD, 2024
Recovering lithium from waste lithium-ion battery cathode materials with high efficiency, high recovery rate, and high purity. The method involves leaching the cathode material with hydrochloric acid and a reducing agent to dissolve the metal ions. Then, selective precipitation removes impurity metals like nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum, etc., leaving behind a concentrated lithium solution. Further concentration using hydrochloric acid and sodium precipitation with alcohol achieves high lithium carbonate precipitation for recovery. The stepwise impurity separation and concentration maximizes lithium recovery compared to direct precipitation.
11. Lithium Recovery Method from Waste Cathode Material Using Selective Acid-Oxidant Impregnation and Sequential Precipitation
XIAMEN XIAWU NEW ENERGY MAT CO LTD, XIAMEN XIAWU NEW ENERGY MATERIALS CO LTD, 2024
A method to recover lithium from waste cathode material of lithium iron phosphate batteries with higher lithium yield compared to existing methods. The method involves selectively dissolving lithium from the waste powder, precipitating and separating lithium from the solution, and then treating the tail liquid to recover more lithium. The selective dissolution is done by jointly impregnating the waste powder with an acid and oxidant, then separating the dissolved lithium-rich solution. The lithium is precipitated and separated from this solution by concentrating and adding carbonate or phosphate. The tail liquid is then treated to further recover lithium.
12. Method for Lithium Extraction from Battery Cathode Waste Using Plant Residue-Assisted Roasting and Sequential Leaching
NINGBO RONBAY LITHIUM BATTERY MATERIAL CO LTD, NINGBO RONBAY LITHIUM BATTERY MATERIALS CO LTD, 2024
A method for preferentially extracting lithium from waste lithium-ion battery cathode materials using roasting, water leaching, and carbonation leaching. The method involves mixing the battery cathode waste with plant waste residue, roasting at 550-600°C, water leaching, and carbonation leaching. The roasting step extracts lithium using reducing gases from the plant waste residue. The water leaching step extracts lithium from the roasted material. The carbonation leaching step further extracts lithium by bubbling CO into the water. The method uses plant waste residue instead of carbon additives for lithium extraction, reduces impurities, and recycles both battery waste and plant waste.
13. Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling via Roasting, Leaching, and Electrochemical Purification Steps
University of Kentucky Research Foundation, 2024
Recycling lithium-ion batteries using a three-step process that involves roasting, leaching, and electrochemical purification. The steps are: 1) Roasting the black mass from shredded batteries to reduce it and extract metals. 2) Simultaneous leaching and magnetic separation to extract soluble lithium species and enrich Ni-Co. 3) Electrochemical purification using a flow electrolyzer to separate lithium ions from other ions and produce pure lithium hydroxide. This allows efficient and scalable recovery of high-value lithium from end-of-life batteries.
14. Recycling Method for Lithium-Ion Batteries with Selective Lithium Extraction and Electrode Material Separation
HUNAN CHANGYUAN LICO CO LTD, JINCHI ENERGY MAT CO LTD, JINCHI ENERGY MATERIALS CO LTD, 2023
A full-process recycling method for waste lithium-ion batteries with high economic benefits and simple processing flow. The method involves refined dismantling of used batteries to separate positive and negative electrode sheets. The positive electrode sheets are further processed to separate the current collector and positive electrode powder. The separated positive electrode powder is sulfation roasted to form a sintered material. This sintered material is then leached to extract lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, and aluminum. The lithium can be selectively extracted by roasting-water leaching to get a high-lithium solution. The high-lithium solution is further concentrated and precipitated to obtain battery grade lithium carbonate. This selective lithium extraction reduces impurities and losses compared to conventional processes.
15. Method for Sorting, Crushing, and Refining Waste Lithium Batteries with Type-Specific Processing and Fluorine-Free Lithium Recovery
JINWEI ENVIRONMENTAL TECH CHANGZHOU CO LTD, JINWEI ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2023
Method for collecting and dismantling waste lithium batteries to efficiently recycle valuable materials while minimizing environmental impact. The process involves: 1. Sorting and separating different types of waste lithium batteries based on shape and chemistry. 2. Crushing the sorted batteries to break apart the cells. 3. Refining and purifying the recovered lithium salt or metallic lithium to meet industry needs. This allows separate processing of each battery type and extracting lithium without fluorine contamination. It reduces equipment corrosion and cost compared to processing whole batteries.
16. Lithium Recovery Method from Waste Lithium-Ion Batteries via In-Situ Roasting and Ultrasonically Assisted Water Leaching
WUHAN UNIV OF TECHNOLOGY, WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, 2023
A method for recycling lithium from waste lithium-ion batteries and regenerating it to prepare a ternary precursor. The method involves crushing the waste batteries, in-situ roasting the negative electrode material, ultrasonically assisted water leaching the roasted product, and recovering lithium carbonate. This avoids sorting, deep leaching, and impurity removal steps. The lithium-containing filtrate is concentrated and crystallized to obtain lithium carbonate with high purity. The water leaching residue is further processed to extract nickel, cobalt, and erythium from it.
17. System and Method for Lithium Recovery and Hydroxide Production via Membrane-Assisted Electrolysis
QINGHAI INST OF SALT LAKES CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, QINGHAI INSTITUTE OF SALT LAKES CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, 2023
A method and system for recovering lithium from waste lithium-ion batteries and preparing lithium hydroxide in an efficient, green, and closed-loop process. The method involves leaching lithium from the battery black powder using acids, then separating and concentrating the lithium using membrane processes. The concentrated lithium solution is electrolyzed in a bipolar membrane electrodialysis cell to produce lithium hydroxide. This closed-loop process recycles acids and avoids waste discharge.
18. Closed-Loop Lithium-Ion Battery Waste Recycling with Two-Stage Leaching and Lithium-Based Impurity Removal
II VI DELAWARE INC, II-VI DELAWARE INC, 2023
A simplified, closed-loop process for recycling lithium-ion battery waste to recover and purify precious metals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium. The process involves two stages: acid leaching followed by reductive leaching. The acid leaching step dissolves the metals and impurities. The reductive leaching step uses a reducing agent like hydrogen to consume oxygen and prevent overconsumption of hydrogen peroxide. A lithium base solution is used instead of sodium hydroxide for impurity removal, reducing waste, and improving lithium recovery. The closed-loop process eliminates unnecessary steps compared to conventional hydrometallurgical processes.
19. Two-Stage Leaching Process with Sequential Acid and Reductive Leaching Using Hydrogen Peroxide for Metal Recovery from Black Mass
II-VI Delaware, Inc., 2023
A two-stage leaching process for recovering valuable metals like Ni, Mn, Co, and Li from black mass generated during lithium-ion battery recycling. The process involves acid leaching in the first stage followed by reductive leaching with hydrogen peroxide in the second stage. This allows efficient use of impurities like copper and aluminum to reduce hydrogen peroxide consumption and prevent overconsumption. The process improves metal recovery compared to simultaneous acid leaching and reduction. It also enables purification using pH adjustment and ion exchange.
20. Two-Stage Leaching Process for Lithium-Ion Battery Waste with Sequential Acid and Reductive Leaching
II VI DELAWARE INC, II-VI DELAWARE INC, 2023
Recycling lithium-ion battery waste in a two-stage leaching process that improves metal recovery and reduces impurity losses compared to one-stage leaching. In stage 1, acid leaching extracts valuable metals like cobalt, manganese, and nickel from the black battery waste. In stage 2, a reducing agent is added to further leach the metals. This two-stage process leverages the reduction ability of impurities like copper and aluminum to aid metal extraction. It also allows separate impurity removal steps between leaching stages.
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