A bioleaching and solvent extraction process with selective recovery of copper and zinc from polymetallic sulphide concentrates is described, comprising a bioleaching and ferric ion reducing process and a copper and zinc solvent extraction process. The bioleaching and ferric ion reducing process comprises a concentrates pulp conditioning step; a bioleaching step, wherein once the pulp is conditioned it is subjected to a bioleaching process using a plurality of bioreactors of the stirred-tank type with an air injection and diffusion system, which allows handling of a pulp density higher than 15%; a step of solid separation from a solution rich in metallic ions from the bioleaching step; and, a ferric ion reduction step, wherein the pulp from the previous step is subjected to a transformation step of ferric ions into ferrous ions. The solvent extraction step comprises a copper solvent extraction and electrolysis step; an arsenic control step, wherein arsenic is controlled in the solution once copper has been extracted from it; and, a zinc solvent extraction and electrolysis step, which uses a phosphinic acid-based zinc extraction dissolution.

A method for processing lithium ion battery scrap according to this invention includes a leaching step of leaching lithium ion battery scrap to obtain a leached solution; an aluminum removal step of neutralizing the leached solution to a pH range of from 4.0 to 6.0, then performing solid-liquid separation and removing aluminum in the leached solution to obtain a first separated solution; and an iron removal step of adding an oxidizing agent to the first separated solution and adjusting the pH in a range of from 3.0 to 5.0, then performing solid-liquid separation and removing iron in the first separated solution to obtain a second separated solution.

A high-efficiency method for producing metal from metal oxide by carbothermic reduction includes step in which a holed cake is provided, which has a composition comprising a metal oxide, a carbonaceous reducing agent, and a binder, and the holed cake has a plurality of holes. The method continues with step in which the holed cake is placed in a high-temperature furnace for carbothermic reduction, to reduce the metal oxide in the holed cake into a metal.

A method for treating a mineral composition containing iron, arsenic or other Group VA compounds comprises milling the mineral composition to a particle size of P.sub.80 of less than 25 m and leaching the mineral composition in the presence of lime and/or limestone and a soluble alkali complexing agent and in the presence of an oxygen containing gas at a pH in the range of from 3.5 to 6.

A method for treating a mineral composition containing iron, arsenic or other Group VA compounds comprises milling the mineral composition to a particle size of P.sub.80 of less than 25 m and leaching the mineral composition in the presence of lime and/or limestone and a soluble alkali complexing agent and in the presence of an oxygen containing gas at a pH in the range of from 3.5 to 6.

The present invention concerns a process for the recovery of metals and of heat from spent rechargeable batteries, in particular from spent Li-ion batteries containing relatively low amounts of cobalt. It has in particular been found that such cobalt-depleted Li-ion batteries can be processed on a copper smelter by: feeding a useful charge and slag formers to the smelter; adding heating and reducing agents; whereby at least part of the heating and/or reducing agents is replaced by Li-ion batteries containing one or more of metallic Fe, metallic Al, and carbon. Using spent LFP or LMO batteries as a feed on the Cu smelter, the production rate of Cu blister is increased, while the energy consumption from fossil sources is decreased.

The present invention concerns a process for the recovery of metals and of heat from spent rechargeable batteries, in particular from spent Li-ion batteries containing relatively low amounts of cobalt. It has in particular been found that such cobalt-depleted Li-ion batteries can be processed on a copper smelter by: feeding a useful charge and slag formers to the smelter; adding heating and reducing agents; whereby at least part of the heating and/or reducing agents is replaced by Li-ion batteries containing one or more of metallic Fe, metallic Al, and carbon. Using spent LFP or LMO batteries as a feed on the Cu smelter, the production rate of Cu blister is increased, while the energy consumption from fossil sources is decreased.

The present invention discloses a method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery, including the following steps: sandwiching a cathode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material as a cathode of a primary battery system; sandwiching an anode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material as an anode of the primary battery system; injecting an acid solution into a chamber of the primary battery system; and carrying out, after an electrochemical reaction is completed, solid-liquid separation on a mixed liquor in the chamber. The present invention further discloses an electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery. The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery in the present invention requires only dismantlement of cathode and anode materials, without a series of complex pretreatment operations on the cathode materials of the spent lithium-ion battery. In addition, by the method, the cathodes and anodes of the spent lithium-ion battery can be recycled at the same time, and valuable elements can be separated, which is greatly improved compared with the electrolytic leaching method. Moreover, there is no need to add an external power supply, which saves energy and can also output electricity.

The present invention discloses a method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery, including the following steps: sandwiching a cathode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material as a cathode of a primary battery system; sandwiching an anode of the spent lithium-ion battery with a conductive acid-resistant material as an anode of the primary battery system; injecting an acid solution into a chamber of the primary battery system; and carrying out, after an electrochemical reaction is completed, solid-liquid separation on a mixed liquor in the chamber. The present invention further discloses an electrochemical system for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery. The method for recycling a spent lithium-ion battery in the present invention requires only dismantlement of cathode and anode materials, without a series of complex pretreatment operations on the cathode materials of the spent lithium-ion battery. In addition, by the method, the cathodes and anodes of the spent lithium-ion battery can be recycled at the same time, and valuable elements can be separated, which is greatly improved compared with the electrolytic leaching method. Moreover, there is no need to add an external power supply, which saves energy and can also output electricity.

Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe.sup.3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe.sup.3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe.sup.2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe.sup.2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe.sup.2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.