Ni-Co 2021: The 5th International Symposium on Nickel and Cobalt: Batteries
Sponsored by: The Metallurgy & Materials Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, TMS Extraction and Processing Division, TMS: Hydrometallurgy and Electrometallurgy Committee, TMS: Pyrometallurgy Committee
Program Organizers: Corby Anderson, Colorado School of Mines; Dean Gregurek, RHI Magnesita; Mari Lundström, Aalto University; Christina Meskers, SINTEF; Prabhat Tripathy, Batelle Energy Alliance (Idaho National Laboratory); Fiseha Tesfaye, Metso Metals Oy, Åbo Akademi University; Yuanbo Zhang, Central South University; Sari Muinonen, Glencore; Graeme Goodall, XPS- Glencore; Shijie Wang, Coeur Mining, Inc
Monday 2:00 PM
March 15, 2021
Room: RM 43
Location: TMS2021 Virtual
2:00 PM
BATCircle – Towards CO2 Low Battery Recycling: Mari Lundstrom1; Antti Porvali1; Heini Elomaa2; Pyry Hannula1; Pertti Kauranen1; 1Aalto University; 2Outotec Reserach Center (Finland) Oy
Finland-based Circular Ecosystem of Battery Metals (BATCircle, 22 M€) aims at management of materials and value addition during the entire lifetime of Li-ion batteries. The consortium led by Aalto University focuses on enhancing battery metals production from both primary and secondary sources. Along with BATCircle, Finland leads Batteries Europe (ETIP) WG2, where several gaps in the current battery recycling R&D topics have been identified. One of the topics relates to the environmental impacts of emerging battery recycling technologies. The current study (a) summarizes a novel approach for the synergistic hydrometallurgical recycling of LIBs together with NiMH battery waste and (b) highlights the importance of simulation based life cycle assessment as a tool to provide early stage environmental indicator values for development stage processes.
2:20 PM
Selective Sulfidation and Electrowinning of Nickel and Cobalt for Lithium Ion Battery Recycling: Caspar Stinn1; Antoine Allanore1; 1Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Processes for recycling lithium ion batteries (LIB), in particular complex chemistries such as those containing nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC) cathodes, are hindered by tradeoffs between capital cost, process sustainability, and materials recovery. Most metal separations in primary and secondary production of critical elements rely on anion exchange chemistries. Herein, we explore the application of a novel oxide-sulfide anion exchange methodology to facilitate LIB recycling. Beginning with selective sulfidation of NMC cathode oxides, we demonstrate that lithium may be stabilized as a sulfate, manganese as an oxysulfide, and nickel and cobalt as sulfides from the mixed metal feed, potentially facilitating isolation of lithium via leaching and nickel-cobalt via flotation. Following, we explore molten sulfide electrolysis as a method of process intensification, combining separation and reduction into a single unit operation for difficult to separate metals such as cobalt and nickel. We demonstrate selective reduction of cobalt from mixed nickel-cobalt sulfide, as produced in selective sulfidation of waste NMC cathodes, using a barium-lanthanum sulfide supporting electrolyte. Our preliminary results suggest that selective sulfidation as a pretreatment for selective molten sulfide electrolysis is a promising avenue for separation of critical elements from complicated materials feeds, such as those found in lithium ion battery recycling streams.
2:40 PM
Additive Manufacturing of 3D Microlattice Lithium-ion Battery Electrodes: A Review: Modupeola Dada1; Patricia Popoola1; 1Tshwane University of Technology
Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most desirable energy storage systems which consist of two electrodes and an electrolyte. These batteries are currently restricted to consumer electronics attributed to the low performance of the cathode and/or anode electrode; and the limitations of the electrode’s manufacturing process. Li-ion battery electrodes are widely manufactured using the slurry casting technique. However, the organic solvent used in slurry casting increases the manufacturing costs while electrodes fabricated can only be used for portable electronics and not for large hybrid automobiles. Additive manufacturing is a solvent-free technique which prints large complex geometries, therefore, producing porous electrodes through interdigitated geometries and more recently through three-dimensional micro lattice structures. This manufacturing process can fabricate Ni-Co based high entropy oxide electrodes which are deposited directly with uniform distribution of particles. Electrodes fabricated with 3D micro lattice structures are optimal, having controlled porosity which improves the overall Li-ion battery capacity.
3:00 PM Cancelled
A Strategy for Acid-free Waste Lithium Battery Processing: Mark Strauss1; Luis Diaz Aldana1; Mary Case1; Tedd Lister1; 1Idaho National Laboratory
The current methods for the extraction of cobalt, lithium, nickel and manganese from waste lithium-ion batteries requires reagents such as HCl, H2SO4, HNO3 and excess of a reductants such as of hydrogen peroxide. This work provides a new strategy for metal recovery and impurity removal without the use of mineral acids/bases or reductants. This study is an alternative strategy using an innovative pyrometallurgical method could be more environmentally sustainable because reagent consumption may be less, fewer toxic reagents are utilized, and fewer unit operations are employed. The effects of temperature, time and reagent concentration were studied upon the recovery of cobalt, lithium, nickel, iron and aluminum.
3:20 PM
The Role of Nickel in Batteries: Ken Rudisuela1; 1Nickel Institute
The presentation will cover a short history of the use of nickel in batteries leading up to advanced state-of-the-art Li-ion, an overview of the technology and the advantages that nickel brings. A discussion on relative performance of competing technologies including application and safety issues. Opportunities for cost reduction of Li-ion batteries with the use of nickel enabling the electric vehicle market will be discussed. Finally, information on the availability of nickel for batteries, life cycle analysis and recyclability of nickel based Li-ion batteries.
3:40 PM
The Effect of Cu, Al and Fe Impurities on Leaching Efficiency of Two Lithium-ion Battery Waste Fractions: Alexander Chernyaev1; Jere Partinen1; Mari Lundström1; 1Aalto University
It has been established that high extraction for Co in LIB waste leaching is achieved with an addition of reducing agents, such as H2O2. However, battery current collectors (Al and Cu) can also act as reducing agents. The target of this work was to investigate varying amounts of the current collectors in <1250 μm and <500 μm fractions and their effect on the extraction of Co, Mn and Ni in leaching (T = 70°C, [H2SO4] = 2M, and 200 g/L). It was found that >90% of Co and Mn and all of Ni was extracted from <1250μm fraction in the absence of external reductants, whereas with <500 μm fraction, the extraction was 14 – 30 %-units lower. The results suggest that skillful optimization of LIB waste fractions as input to hydrometallurgical battery recycling can support in the minimization of the reduction chemicals.
4:00 PM
A Sustainable Oxalate Process for Recovery of Metals from LiCoO2: Experimental and Modeling Study: Ankit Verma1; David Corbin1; Mark Shiflett1; 1University of Kansas
Green and sustainable recycling of lithium-ion batteries is an area that requires global attention due to the rapid growth in the electric vehicle (EV) market. In this work, a holistic study is presented to develop a closed-loop Li and Co metal recovery and separation process using oxalic acid from LiCoO2 electrode material. A novel oxalic acid regeneration process using ion-exchange resins is used to recover oxalate, reduce waste production, and lower the overall cost of the process. The experimental results are supported by thermodynamic and kinetic modeling studies, which provides application to other aqueous metal chemistries that can be applied to recycling new battery types such as NMC cathodes. This presentation will describe the experimental and modeling results for the process and the application of oxalate chemistry to other energy-efficient extractions such as Al from bauxite and Ti from ilmenite.
4:20 PM
Refining of Mixed Sulphide Precipitate to Produce Battery Grade Metals Using Outotec Pressure Oxidation Process: Christopher Ecott1; 1Outotec
The demand for base metals is accelerating with interest in Nickel and Cobalt due to the global demand for electrical vehicles and cobalt featuring on the list of critical raw materials (CRM) for the European union, materials fundamental to Europe’s economy, growth and jobs. Terrafame Oy is an established metals producer of Nickel, Zinc, Cobalt and Copper in Sotkamo, Finland. The process utilizes bioleaching and precipitation to produce sulphide metals with lower environmental impact, in an energy efficient manner. This paper describes the next stage of metals production at Terrafame; Hydrometallurgical refining process designed by Metso:Outotec treating NiCo-sulfide intermediate, to produce battery grade nickel and cobalt sulphate crystals. Focus is put to the oxidative pressure leaching of the NiCo-sulphide as well as the purification of PLS achieving battery grade quality. Cold and hot commissioning phases of the pressure leaching autoclave start-up are discussed together with the experiences from the ramp-up.