Resources Recycling (자원리싸이클링)

The Korean Institute of Resources Recycling (한국자원리싸이클링학회)
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Lithium - A Critical Metal for Clean Energy Technologies: A Comprehensive Review on Challenges and Opportunities for Securing Lithium from Primary and Secondary Resources

리튬-청정 에너지 기술의 핵심금속: 1차 및 2차 자원으로부터 리튬 확보를 위한 도전과 기회에 대한 종합적 고찰

  • Swain, Basudev (Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Center, Institute for Advanced Engineering (IAE)) ;
  • Kim, Min-seuk (Mineral Resources Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM)) ;
  • Lee, Chan-Gi (Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Center, Institute for Advanced Engineering (IAE)) ;
  • Chung, Kyeong Woo (Mineral Resources Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM)) ;
  • Lee, Jae-chun (Mineral Resources Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM))
  • ;
  • 김민석 (한국지질자원연구원 광물자원연구본부) ;
  • 이찬기 (고등기술연구원 융합소재연구센터) ;
  • 정경우 (한국지질자원연구원 광물자원연구본부) ;
  • 이재천 (한국지질자원연구원 광물자원연구본부)
  • Received : 2019.07.11
  • Accepted : 2019.08.19
  • Published : 2019.10.31
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Abstract

Due to the increasing demand for clean energy, the consumption of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is expected to grow steadily. Therefore, stable supply of lithium is becoming an important issue globally. Commercially, most of lithium is produced from the brine and minerals viz., spodumene, although various processes/technologies have been developed to recover lithium from other resources such as low grade ores, clays, seawaters and waste lithium ion batteries. In particular, commercialization of such recycling technologies for end-of-life LIBs being generated from various sources including mobile phones and electric vehicles(EVs), has a great potential. This review presents the commercial processes and also the emerging technologies for exploiting minerals and brines, besides that of newly developed lithium-recovery-processes for the waste LIBs. In addition, the future lithium-supply is discussed from the technical point of view. Amongst the emerging processes being developed for lithium recovery from low-grade ores, focus is mostly on the pyro-cum-hydrometallurgical based approaches, though only a few of such approaches have matured. Because of low recycling rate (<1%) of lithium globally compared to the consumption of lithium ion batteries (56% of lithium produced currently), processing of secondary resources could be foresighted as the grand opportunity. Considering the carbon economy, environment, and energy concerns, the hydrometallurgical process may potentially resolve the issue.

청정에너지에 대한 수요가 증가함에 따라 리튬이온배터리의 소비가 꾸준히 늘어날 것으로 예상된다. 따라서 전세계적으로 리튬의 안정적 공급이 중요한 문제가 되고 있다. 저품위 광석, 점토, 해수 그리고 폐리튬이온배터리 등과 같은 다양한 자원으로부터 리튬의 회수를 위한 공정과 기술들이 개발되어져 왔지만, 대부분의 리튬은 간수와 스포듀민 광석으로부터 상업적으로 생산되고 있다. 특히, 휴대폰과 전기자동차(EVs)를 포함한 여러 분야에서 발생하고 있는 사용 후 리튬이온배터리에 대한 재활용 기술들의 상용화는 많은 잠재력을 가지고 있다. 본 고찰은 폐리튬이온배터리에 대하여 새롭게 개발된 리튬 회수 공정과 더불어 광물과 간수를 이용하기 위한 상용공정 및 최신 기술들을 소개한다. 아울러 미래의 리튬 공급이 기술적인 관점에서 논의된다. 저품위 광석으로부터 리튬 회수를 위하여 개발되고 있는 최신공정들은 주로 건식+습식 제련에 기반을 둔 접근방법에 초점을 두고 있으며, 단지 몇몇 방법들만이 안정화 되었다. 리튬이온배터리의 소비(현재 생산되는 리튬의 56%)에 비교하여 리튬의 낮은 재활용율(1% 미만) 때문에 2차 자원의 처리는 굉장한 기회로서 앞을 내다보는 것일 수 있다. 또한 탄소경제, 환경과 에너지에 대한 우려를 생각해 볼 때, 습식제련공정이 이러한 이슈를 해결할 수 있을 것이다.

Keywords

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