Process for recycle of spent lithium iron phosphate battery via a selective leaching-precipitation method

Abstract

Applying spent lithium iron phosphate battery as raw material, valuable metals in spent lithium ion battery were effectively recovered through separation of active material, selective leaching, and stepwise chemical precipitation. Using stoichiometric Na₂S₂O₈ as an oxidant and adding low-concentration H₂SO₄ as a leaching agent was proposed. This route was totally different from the conventional methods of dissolving all of the elements into solution by using excess mineral acid. When experiments were done under optimal conditions (Na₂S₂O₈-to-Li molar ratio 0.45, 0.30 mol/L H₂SO₄, 60 °C, 1.5 h), leaching efficiencies of 97.53% for Li⁺, 1.39% for Fe³⁺, and 2.58% for PO₄³⁻ were recorded. FePO₄ was then recovered by a precipitation method from the leachate while maintaining the pH at 2.0. The mother liquor was concentrated and maintained at a temperature of approximately 100 °C, and then a saturated sodium carbonate solution was added to precipitate Li₂CO₃. The lithium recovery yield was close to 80%.

Keywords

lithium iron phosphate batteries / selective leaching / recovery / sodium persulfate / lithium carbonate

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