• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2023

The objective of this article is to summarize the commercial lithium ion battery (LIB) recycling processes in Korea and to suggest new direction for LIB recycling. A representative LIB recycler, SungEel Hitech Co. has successfully operated the LIB recycling process for over 10 years, and new recycling processes were recently proposed or developed by many recycling companies and battery manufacturers. In the new recycling processes, lithium is recovered before nickel and cobalt due to the rapid rise in lithium prices, and metal sulfate solution as final product of recycling process can be supplied to manufacturers. The main problem that the new recycling process will face is impurities, which will mainly come from end-of-life electric vehicles or new additives in LIB, although the conventional processes must be improved for mass processing.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.25-31
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• 2021

Smelting reduction of spent lithium-ion batteries results in the production of metallic alloys in which reduced cobalt, nickel and copper coexist. In this study, we investigated the leaching of the metallic alloys containing the above three metals together with iron, manganese, and silicon. The mixture of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent was employed, and the effect of the concentration thereof, the reaction time and temperature, and pulp density was investigated to accomplish the complete leaching of cobalt, nickel, and copper. The effect of the hydrogen peroxide concentration and pulp density on the leaching was prominent, compared to that of reaction time and temperature, especially in the range of 20 to 80℃. The complete leaching of the metals present in metallic alloys, except silicon, was accomplished using 2 M HCl and 5% H₂O₂ with a pulp density of 30 g/L for 150 min at 60℃.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.355-355
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• 2004

사용후핵연료 금속전환체는 세라믹형 사용후핵연료를 리튬용융염으로 금속전환하여 생성한 우라늄금속으로 상온에서도 표면산화가 진행될 정도로 매우 불안정한 상태이다. 이에 대한 저장 안정성 향상방안을 도출하기 위해 금속전환체의 주성분인 금속우라늄과 산화 안정화물질인 Nb을 첨가한 모의 금속전환체 합금을 제작하여 $200^{\circ}C~300^{\circ}C$ 온도구간에서 열중량분석기(TGA)를 이용해 순수 산소분위기로 산화시험을 수행하였다.(중략)

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.173-177
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• 2005

리튬이온 2차전지(Lithium ion battery, LIB)는 기존에 사용되던 전지에 비해 에너지 밀도가 높고 충방전 사이클이 우수하다. 이 때문에 휴대전화와 노트북 등에 수요가 급속하게 증가하고 있으며 1995년 LIB의 생산량은 4천만 개에서 2004년에는 약 8억 개로 20배 이상 증가하였다. 이에 따라 폐LIB도 급속하게 증가하게 되어 전국적인 재활용 시스템의 확보가 필요한 실정이다. 본 연구에서는 폐LIB에 함유되어 있는 유가금속 중에서 리튬코발트옥사이드(이하 $LiCoO_2$)를 회수하기 위하여 분쇄기(orient vertical cutting mill)와 진동 Screen을 사용하여 유기분리막, 금속류(Aluminium foil, Copper foil, case 등) 그리고 전극물질(lithium cobalt oxide와 graphite 등의 혼합 분말)로 분리하였다. 전극물질에서 $LiCoO_2$와 graphite 분리를 위한 전처리 단계로서 $500^{\circ}C$ 정도의 열처리를 하여 $LiCoO_2$의 표면 성질을 변화시켜 부유선별에 의해 $LiCoO_2$와 graphite의 분리가 가능하도록 하였다. 부유선별 실험 결과 93% 이상의 순도를 가지는 $LiCoO_2$를 92% 이상 회수할 수 있었다.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.169-176
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• 2013

Solid state lithium oxide compounds of layered structure, which has high stability of structure, are mainly used as the cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Recently, the investigation of Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) between active materials and electrolyte has been focusing to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. For the investigation of the SEI, the study of surface properties of cathode materials and anode materials is also required in advance. $LiNiO_2$ and $LiCoO_2$ are very similar layered structure of cathode active materials and representative solid state lithium oxide compounds in LIBs. Various experimental and theoretical studies have been doing for $LiCoO_2$. The theoretical investigation of $LiNiO_2$ is not sufficient, however, even if experimental studies of $LiNiO_2$ are enough. In this study, the surface energies of nine facets of $LiNiO_2$ crystal facets were calculated by Density Functional Theory. In XRD data of $LiNiO_2$, (003), (104), (101), et al. facets are main surfaces in order. However, the results of calculation are different with XRD data. Thus, both (104) and (101) facets, which are energetically stable and measured in XRD, are mainly exposed in the surface of $LiNiO_2$ and it is expected that intercalation and de-intercalation of Li-ion will be affected by them.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.91-106
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• 2019

The demand for lithium has increased sharply due to the explosive increase in lithium secondary batteries for environment-friendly vehicles (EV: Electric Vehicle, HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle, PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). Traditionally, lithium has been produced mainly from lithium-containing minerals and brine, and recently it also has been recovered along with other valuable metals by recycling cathode materials of lithium secondary batteries. In this study, we comprehensively reviewed various recovering precesses of lithium from lithium-containing substances.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.60-67
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• 2019

A valuable metal recovery from waste resources such as spent rechargeable secondary batteries is of critical issues because of a sharp increase in the amount of waste resources. In this context, it is necessary to research not only recycling waste lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but also reusing valuable metals (e.g., Li, Co, Ni, Mn etc.) recovered from waste LIBs. In particular, the lithium hydroxide ($LiOH{\cdot}xH_2O$), which is of precursors that can be prepared by the recovery of Li in waste LIBs, can be reused as a catalyst, a carbon dioxide absorbent, and again as a precursor for cathode materials of LIB. However, most studies of recycling the waste LIBs have been focused on the preparation of lithium carbonate with a recovery of Li. Herein, we show the preparation of high purity lithium hydroxide powder along with the precipitation process, and the systematic study to find an optimum condition is also carried out. The lithium carbonate, which is recovered from waste LIBs, was used as starting materials for synthesis of lithium hydroxide. The optimum precipitation conditions for the preparation of LiOH were found as follows: based on stirring, reaction temperature $90^{\circ}C$, reaction time 3 hr, precursor ratio 1:1. To synthesize uniform and high purity lithium hydroxide, 2-step precipitation process was additionally performed, and consequently, high purity $LiOH{\cdot}xH_2O$ powder was obtained.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.171-175
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• 2011

Lithium secondary batteries using lithium metal count electrode are easy to use and to analyze the specific characteristics of working electrode. Nevertheless, during the charge operation internal electrical short circuit could be caused by the dendritic growth of lithium. The cell failure by the short circuit depends on the condition of separator such as constitutive material and thickness. To prevent the cell failure caused by the dendritic growth of lithium, the electrochemical properties of the cell of lithium metal count electrode were evaluated for four different kinds of separator. Among the tested separators, GMF (glass micro-fiber filter, $300{\mu}m$) was the most promising one because it could effectively prevent the cell failure during the charge. The cell using GMF separator had relatively low impedance. Generally the cell using thicker separator than $50{\mu}m$ could effectively avoid the cell failure by internal short circuit and had the good cycleability. The highest rate capability by the signature method was acquired in the case of GMF separator.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 2022

The smelting reduction of spent lithium-ion batteries results in metallic alloys containing Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Si. A process to separate metal ions from the sulfuric acid leaching solution of these metallic alloys has been reported. In this process, ionic liquids are employed to separate Fe(III) and Cu(II). In this study, D2EHPA and Cyanex 301 were employed to replace these ionic liquids. Fe(III) and Cu(II) from the sulfate solution were sequentially extracted using 0.5 M D2EHPA with three stages of cross-current and 0.3 M Cyanex 301. The stripping of Fe(III) and Cu(II) from the loaded phases was performed using 50% (v/v) and 60% (v/v) aqua regia solutions, respectively. The mass balance results from this process indicated that the recovery and purity percentages of the metals were greater than 99%.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.3-9
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• 2007

Dismantlement of lithium primary batteries without explosion is required to recycle the lithium primary batteries which could be exploded by heating too much or crushing. In the present study, the optimum discharging condition was investigated to dismantle the batteries without explosion. When the batteries were discharged with $0.5kmol{\cdot}m^{-3}$ sulfuric acid, the batteries became inert after 4 days at $35^{\circ}C$ and after 1 day at $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. This result shows that higher temperature accelerates inert of the batteries. Because loss of metals recycled increases when the batteries are discharged only with the sulfuric acid, discharging process using acid solution and water was newly proposed. When the batteries were discharged with water during 24 hours after discharging with $0.5kmol{\cdot}m^{-3}$ sulfuric acid during 6 hours, the batteries discharged were dismantled without explosion. Because decrease in loss of metals was accomplished by new process, the recycling process of the batteries could become economic by the 2-step discharging process.