Selective separation and recovery of Co(II) and Ni(II) from lithium-ion battery using Cyanex 272 adsorptive membrane

Highlights

● Cyanex 272-PVDF membranes efficiently extract Co(II).

● FTIR, SEM, and EDX confirmed homogeneous blending and enlarged pore size.

● Optimal Co(II)/Ni(II) separation factor of 209.5 was achieved at pH 6.8 and 75 °C.

● Membranes retained 98% adsorption capacity over 20 recycling cycles.

● A cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative to solvent extraction was presented.

Abstract

Liquid-liquid solvent extraction, commonly used for high purity Co(II) extraction, suffers from drawbacks such as environmental pollution and high cost. To overcome these challenges, a novel Cyanex 272 (bis(2,4,4-trimethyl pentyl)phosphinic acid, HCyanex) adsorptive membrane (CAM) was synthesized using the phase inversion method with varied Cyanex 272 loadings (0–52.5%) to extract Co(II) from cobalt-nickel mixed sulfate solution. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) of as-prepared CAMs confirmed the successful and homogeneous blending of Cyanex 272 with poly(vinylidenefluoride) (PVDF), and increased pore sizes were observed with the addition of Cyanex 272. The highest Co (II) removal was achieved by the CAMs containing 33.2% weight percentage of Cyanex 272 to PVDF with a Langmuir sorption capacity of 1.42 mg/g. The extraction process for Co(II) and Ni(II) by CAMs was sensitive to pH and temperature, with an optimal separation factor of 209.5 at pH 6.8 and 75 °C. The adsorption process is endothermic. Additionally, the membrane exhibited excellent stability and durability, maintaining around 98% adsorption capacity after 20 cycles in the recycling process. These findings suggest that the as-prepared CAMs are a promising technology for the separation of Co(II) from Ni(II) in the recycling process of lithium-ion batteries.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Adsorption membrane / Cyanex 272 / Cobalt-nickel separation / Lithium-ion battery recycling / Phase inversion

References

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support and assistance provided by our colleagues and collaborators throughout the duration of this research. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our equipment trainers, Todd Walters and Chenze Liu, for their invaluable guidance, expertise, and encouragement. We also wish to extend our appreciation to the students and staff of the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering of Georgia Institute of Technology (USA) through this work. This work was partially supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Grants: 2018-68011-28371 and 2022-05735. Lastly, we would like to thank our friends and family for their unwavering support, understanding, and encouragement throughout our research journey. Their belief in our work has been a constant source of motivation and inspiration.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Environmental Implication

The development of Cyanex 272 adsorptive membranes offers an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach for heavy and hazardous metal-Co(II) extraction from cobalt-nickel mixed sulfate aqueous solutions in lithium-ion battery recycling. This novel method reduces environmental pollution associated with traditional liquid-liquid solvent extraction while maintaining high extraction efficiency. The exceptional stability and durability of the CAMs minimize waste generation and contribute to a more sustainable recycling process, ultimately reducing the environmental footprint of lithium-ion battery recycling.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-024-1908-0 and is accessible for authorized users.

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