Crystallization of Cathode Active Material Precursors from Tartaric Acid Solution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Spent lithium-ion batteries pose environmental challenges due to valuable metal content.
• Efficient recovery of critical metals from battery waste is crucial for a circular economy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate L-(+)-tartaric acid as a leaching agent for metals from battery cathode materials.
• To explore antisolvent crystallization for metal recovery and purification.
• To establish a predictive model for optimizing metal recovery efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of metals (Li, Co, Ni, Mn) from NMC111 and black mass using L-(+)-tartaric acid.
• Antisolvent crystallization techniques to separate and purify metals.
• Analysis of factors influencing crystallization, including seeding and antisolvent addition rate.
• Correlation of solution dielectric constant with metal recovery efficiency.

Main Results:

• High leaching efficiencies achieved: >87% for NMC111 and >72.4% for black mass.
• Antisolvent crystallization parameters, like addition rate, influence crystal growth.
• Theoretical dielectric constant (<52) strongly correlates with >95% total transition metal recovery.

Conclusions:

• L-(+)-tartaric acid is a viable agent for leaching valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries.
• Antisolvent crystallization offers a pathway for metal purification, controllable via solvent properties.
• Dielectric constant serves as a predictive tool for optimizing metal recovery processes.