• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.9-17
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• 2023

Efforts are currently underway to develop a method for efficiently recovering lithium from the cathode material of waste lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP). The successful application of lithium battery recycling can address the regional ubiquity and price volatility of lithium resources, while also mitigating the environmental impact associated with both waste battery material and lithium production processes. The isomorphic substitution leaching process was used to recover lithium from spent lithium iron phosphate batteries. Lithium was leached by the isomorphic substitution of Fe²⁺ in LFP using a relatively inexpensive ferric chloride etching solution as a leaching agent. In the study, the leaching rate of lithium was compared using the ferric chloride etching solution at various multiples of the LFP molar ratio: 0.7, 1.0, 1.3, and 1.6 times. The highest lithium leaching rate was shown at about 98% when using 1.3 times the LFP molar ratio. Subsequently, to eliminate Fe, the leachate was treated with NaOH. The Fe-free solution was then used to synthesize lithium carbonate, and the harvested powder was characterized and validated. The surface shape and crystal phase were analyzed using SEM and XRD analysis, and impurities and purity were confirmed using ICP analysis.

• Clean Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2024

As demand for electric vehicles increases, the market for lithium-ion batteries is also rapidly increasing. The battery life of lithium-ion batteries is limited, so waste lithium-ion batteries are inevitably generated. Accordingly, lithium was selectively preleached from waste lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄, hereafter referred to as the LFP) cathode material powder among lithium ion batteries, and iron phosphate (FePO₄) powder was recovered. The recovered iron phosphate powder was mixed with alkaline sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) powder and heat treated to confirm its crystalline phase. The heat treatment temperature was set as a variable, and then the leaching rate and powder characteristics of each ingredient were compared after water leaching using Di-water. In this study, lithium showed a leaching rate of approximately 100%, and in the case of powder heat-treated at 800 ℃, phosphorus was leached by approximately 99%, and the leaching residue was confirmed to be a single crystal phase of Fe₂O₃. Therefore, in this study, lithium, phosphorus, and iron components were individually separated and recovered from waste LFP powder.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.21-29
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• 2024

Globally, the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is surging due to carbon-neutral strategies aimed at decarbonization. Consequently, the demand for lithium-ion batteries, which are essential components of EVs, is also rising, leading to an increase in the generation of spent batteries. This has prompted research into the recycling of spent batteries to recover valuable metals. In this study, we aimed to selectively leach and recover lithium from the cathode material of spent LFP batteries. To enhance the reaction surface area and reactivity, the binder in the cathode material powder was removed, and the material was subjected to heat treatment in both atmospheric and nitrogen environments across various temperature ranges. This was followed by a mechanochemical process for aqueous leaching. Initially, after heat treatment, the powder was converted into a soluble lithium compound using sodium persulfate (Na₂S₂O₈) in a mechanochemical reaction. Subsequently, aqueous leaching was performed using distilled water. This study confirmed the changes in the characteristics of the cathode material powder due to heat treatment. The final heat treatment in a nitrogen atmosphere resulted in a lithium leaching efficiency of approximately 100% across all temperature ranges.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.40-48
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• 2022

In waste lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, the cathode material contains approximately 4% lithium. Recycling the constituent elements of batteries is important for resource circulation and for mitigating the environmental pollution. Li contained in the waste LFP cathode powder was selectively leached using persulfate-based oxidizing agents, such as sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, and ammonium persulfate. Leaching efficiency and waste LFP powder properties were compared and analyzed. Pulp density was used as a variable during leaching, which was performed for 3 h under each condition. The leaching efficiency was calculated using the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis of the leachate. All types of persulfate-based oxidizing agents used in this study showed a Li leaching efficiency over 92%. In particular, when leaching was performed using (NH₄)₂S₂O₈, the highest Li leaching percentage of 93.3% was observed, under the conditions of 50 g/L pulp density and an oxidizing agent concentration of 1.1 molar ratio.