This invention discloses a process and its products for spent lithium-ion batteries treatment, which relates to the field of spent battery treatment technology. This process comprises: fully discharging spent lithium-ion batteries to obtain discharged spent lithium-ion batteries; crushing spent lithium-ion batteries to obtain crushed products of spent lithium-ion batteries; screening crushed products of spent lithium-ion batteries by screens to obtain an overflow and an underflow; sorting the overflow to obtain separator products, plastic products, iron products, copper foil products and aluminum foil products; mechanochemically activating the underflow to obtain activated products; acid leaching the activated products by degradable organic acid to obtain a mixture containing activated products and the organic acid leaching solution; filtering the mixture which contains the activated products and the organic acid leaching solution to obtain graphite as filter residues. Copper mud products and LiNi.sub.0.85Co.sub.0.1Al.sub.0.05O.sub.2 can be obtained after further treatments. This process can effectively recover recyclable resources in spent lithium-ion batteries, and reduce pollution of heavy metals.

The disclosure relates to pre-treatment of precious metal-bearing oxide ores, prior to precious metal leaching by thiosulfate. The process comprises mixing oxide ore in oxygenated water in the presence of a carbon-based material (e.g., activated carbon or other type of carbon). The carbon-based material can be separated from the ore slurry, and, the gold is thereafter leached by a thiosulfate lixiviant.

The disclosure relates to pre-treatment of precious metal-bearing oxide ores, prior to precious metal leaching by thiosulfate. The process comprises mixing oxide ore in oxygenated water in the presence of a carbon-based material (e.g., activated carbon or other type of carbon). The carbon-based material can be separated from the ore slurry, and, the gold is thereafter leached by a thiosulfate lixiviant.

The present application relates to methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching gold, palladium and/or platinum from a substance comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum (such as a gold-containing ore or a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible or partially water-miscible.

The present application relates to methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching gold, palladium and/or platinum from a substance comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum (such as a gold-containing ore or a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible or partially water-miscible.

The present disclosure concerns the production of precursor compounds for lithium battery cathodes.

Batteries or their scrap are smelted in reducing conditions, thereby forming an alloy suitable for further hydrometallurgical refining, and a slag. The alloy is leached in acidic conditions, producing a Ni- and Co-bearing solution, which is refined.

The refining steps are greatly simplified as most elements susceptible to interfere with the refining steps concentrate in the slag. Metals such as Co, Ni and Mn are then precipitated from the solution, forming a suitable starting product for the synthesis of new battery precursor compounds.

A process for the recovery of one or more transition metals and lithium from waste lithium ion batteries or parts thereof is disclosed. The process comprising the steps of (a) providing a particulate material containing a transition metal compound and/or transition metal, wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni and Co, and wherein further at least a fraction of said Ni and/or Co, if present, are in an oxidation state lower than +2, e.g. in the metallic state; which particulate material further contains a lithium salt; (b) treating the material provided in step (a) with a polar solvent and optionally an alkaline earth hydroxide; (c) separating the solids from the liquid, optionally followed by a solid-solid separation step; and (d) treating the solids containing the transition metal in a way to dissolve at least part of the Ni and/or Co, typically using a mineral acid, provides good separation of lithium in high purity and of transition metal useful for the production of battery cathode active materials.

The present invention discloses a method for decomposing medium-/low-grade scheelite, specifically comprising steps of: grinding medium-/low-grade scheelite, decomposing in an autoclave by using sodium phosphate and activated magnesium fluoride as leaching agents, and treating by solid-liquid separation to obtain crude sodium tungstate solution and residue. In this way, the medium-/low-grade scheelite is decomposed. Magnesium chloride is added in a sodium fluoride solution to prepare activated magnesium fluoride as a leaching agent. The present invention has the advantage that the high-efficiency decomposition of medium-/low-grade scheelite can be realized with low consumption of leaching agents, and the leaching cost can be greatly reduced in comparison to the existing decomposition processes using sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate. This process is short in route, simple in operation, readily available and reliable in production equipment, and easy for industrialization.

The present invention discloses a method for decomposing medium-/low-grade scheelite, specifically comprising steps of: grinding medium-/low-grade scheelite, decomposing in an autoclave by using sodium phosphate and activated magnesium fluoride as leaching agents, and treating by solid-liquid separation to obtain crude sodium tungstate solution and residue. In this way, the medium-/low-grade scheelite is decomposed. Magnesium chloride is added in a sodium fluoride solution to prepare activated magnesium fluoride as a leaching agent. The present invention has the advantage that the high-efficiency decomposition of medium-/low-grade scheelite can be realized with low consumption of leaching agents, and the leaching cost can be greatly reduced in comparison to the existing decomposition processes using sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate. This process is short in route, simple in operation, readily available and reliable in production equipment, and easy for industrialization.

A method of extracting purified lithium sulfate brine from sedimentary rock is disclosed. The method includes the steps of sizing sedimentary rock ore, suspending the sized ore in an aqueous solution, and separating the aqueous solution into lithium bearing slurry and low lithium gangue. The lithium bearing slurry is then treated with an acid, dissolving lithium from the sedimentary rock and forming precipitates which are subsequently removed the slurry, forming an acidic lithium sulfate filtrate solution. The pH of the acidic lithium sulfate filtrate solution is then modified to form further precipitates which are then separated. The neutralized lithium sulfate solution is then crystallized to remove magnesium and potassium, and treated with quicklime, soda ash solution, and/or oxalic acid to form additional precipitates. Finally the additional precipitates are separated from the solution, and the solution is passed through an ion exchange apparatus, forming a purified lithium sulfate brine.