About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Fundamentals of Sustainable Metallurgy and Processing of Materials
|
| Presentation Title |
Selective Electrochemical Recovery and Reuse of Cobalt from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Green Leachates |
| Author(s) |
Kannan Ramaiyan, Jennifer M Navarro Naranjo, Dev Chidambaram |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Kannan Ramaiyan |
| Abstract Scope |
Cobalt is a critical component of lithium-ion battery (LIB) cathodes such as LiCoO2 and LiNixMnyCozO2, and its recovery from spent batteries is essential for sustainable resource management. This study presents a green, selective method for cobalt extraction using biodegradable citric acid-based leachates, avoiding strong mineral acids. A mild oxidizing agent was used to enhance cobalt dissolution from cathode under moderate conditions. The resulting leachate, containing Co and other metals was electrochemically analyzed to evaluate the selective recovery of cobalt. Process parameters were optimized to minimize co-deposition of other metals, improving cobalt purity. This integrated approach enables efficient, environmentally friendly recovery of cobalt from end-of-life batteries and supports the development of a closed-loop recycling system for battery-grade material reprocessing.
Acknowledgements: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the award number DE-EE00010974. Kristi Danley-Pysh serves as program manager. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Copper / Nickel / Cobalt, Electrometallurgy, Recycling and Secondary Recovery |