Method and apparatus thereof to separate aluminum from aluminum-containing source material, such as fly ash, includes preparing a slurry of the source material and water in an agitation tank and adding a leaching reactant to the slurry in an amount dependent on the amount of aluminum in the source material. After agitation, transferring the mixture to a settling pond. After settling, transferring the liquid as a pregnant solution to an electric cell. Treating the pregnant solution in the electric cell by applying an electrical current that is periodically reversed as the pregnant solution passes between at least two metal plates in the electric cell. Collecting the treated solution in a cone bottom tank and separating aluminum particles from the treated solution using a filter press. Drying the particulate aluminum and pressing the aluminum into solid shapes. Another embodiment collects hydrogen generated in the electric cell from source material.

A method and apparatus to reclaim metals from scrap material such as automobile shredder residue (ASR) that, after separating out light density components, separates out friable material such as rock and glass by crushing and screening operations to generate a high metal content product.

The invention provides a method for the recovery of a metal-containing product (M.sub.Prod) comprising: providing a composite material comprising a matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o), a product metal (M.sub.P) dispersed in the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o), and one or more metal compounds (M.sub.PC.sub.R) of the product metal (M.sub.P) in one or more oxidation states dispersed in the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o); and treating the composite material to at least partially remove the one or more metal compounds (M.sub.PC.sub.R) from the matrix of oxidised reductant (Ro) to form the metal-containing product (M.sub.Prod).

The invention provides a method for the recovery of a metal-containing product (M.sub.Prod) comprising: providing a composite material comprising a matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o), a product metal (M.sub.P) dispersed in the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o), and one or more metal compounds (M.sub.PC.sub.R) of the product metal (M.sub.P) in one or more oxidation states dispersed in the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o); and treating the composite material to at least partially remove the one or more metal compounds (M.sub.PC.sub.R) from the matrix of oxidised reductant (Ro) to form the metal-containing product (M.sub.Prod).

An improved beta(?)-spodumene (?LiAlSi.sub.2O.sub.6) nitric acid conversion process produces discrete lithium (Li), aluminum (Al) and silica (SiO.sub.2) materials by: (i) converting lithium nitrate, LiNO.sub.3, to lithium carbonate, Li.sub.2CO.sub.3; (ii) creating a Al-rich precipitate either by thermally decomposing aluminum nitrate, Al(NO.sub.3).sub.3, or by reacting Al(NO.sub.3).sub.3 with aqueous and/or solid ammonium carbonate, (NH.sub.4).sub.2CO.sub.3; and (iii) forming a solid SiO.sub.2-rich aluminosilicate residue by selectively leaching Li and Al from ?-spodumene. Three key reactants consumed during processingnitric acid (HNO.sub.3), ammonia (NH.sub.3), and magnesium oxide (MgO)may be regenerated internally by closed-loop chemical cycles, this feature of the process greatly improving its economics in commercial applications.

A valuable metal recovery method includes: recovering a battery slag from lithium ion battery waste; adding an acid to the battery slag; adding a sulfur compound the leachate; filtering the first processed product to obtain a first processed filtrate; adding a sulfur compound to the first processed filtrate; filtering the second processed product to obtain a second processed filtrate; adding calcium hydroxide to the second processed filtrate; filtering the third processed product to obtain a third processed filtrate; adding sodium carbonate to the third processed filtrate; filtering the processed product; heating the fourth processed filtrate; blowing carbon dioxide or adding a carbonate; and filtering the processed product, wherein a pH of the second processed product is higher than a pH of the first processed product, and a pH of the third processed product is higher than the pH of the second processed product.

The present invention relates to a method for treating lithium ion battery scrap containing Li, Ni, Co, Mn, Al, Cu and Fe, the method comprising carrying out a calcination step, a crushing step and a sieving step in this order, and after the steps, the method comprising: a leaching step of leaching the lithium ion battery scrap by adding it to an acidic solution to leave at least a part of Cu as a solid; a Fe/Al removal step comprising allowing a leached solution obtained in the leaching step to pass through a Fe removal process for separating and removing Fe by addition of an oxidizing agent and an Al removal process for separating and removing a part of Al by neutralization in any order; an Al/Mn extraction step of extracting and removing a residue of Al and Mn from a separated solution obtained in the Fe/Al removal step by solvent extraction; a Co recovery step of extracting and back-extracting Co from a first extracted solution obtained in the Al/Mn extraction step by solvent extraction and recovering the Co by electrolytic winning; a Ni recovery step of extracting and back-extracting, by solvent extraction, a part of Ni from a second extracted solution obtained by the solvent extraction in the Co recovery step and recovering the Ni by electrolytic winning; a Li concentration step of extracting and back-extracting, by solvent extraction, a residue of Ni and Li from a third extracted solution obtained by the solvent extraction in the Ni recovery step and repeating the operations of the extracting and the back-extracting to concentrate Li; and a Li recovery step of carbonating Li in a Li concentrated solution obtained in the Li concentration step to recover the Li as lithium carbonate.

The present invention relates to a method for treating lithium ion battery scrap containing Li, Ni, Co, Mn, Al, Cu and Fe, the method comprising carrying out a calcination step, a crushing step and a sieving step in this order, and after the steps, the method comprising: a leaching step of leaching the lithium ion battery scrap by adding it to an acidic solution to leave at least a part of Cu as a solid; a Fe/Al removal step comprising allowing a leached solution obtained in the leaching step to pass through a Fe removal process for separating and removing Fe by addition of an oxidizing agent and an Al removal process for separating and removing a part of Al by neutralization in any order; an Al/Mn extraction step of extracting and removing a residue of Al and Mn from a separated solution obtained in the Fe/Al removal step by solvent extraction; a Co recovery step of extracting and back-extracting Co from a first extracted solution obtained in the Al/Mn extraction step by solvent extraction and recovering the Co by electrolytic winning; a Ni recovery step of extracting and back-extracting, by solvent extraction, a part of Ni from a second extracted solution obtained by the solvent extraction in the Co recovery step and recovering the Ni by electrolytic winning; a Li concentration step of extracting and back-extracting, by solvent extraction, a residue of Ni and Li from a third extracted solution obtained by the solvent extraction in the Ni recovery step and repeating the operations of the extracting and the back-extracting to concentrate Li; and a Li recovery step of carbonating Li in a Li concentrated solution obtained in the Li concentration step to recover the Li as lithium carbonate.

Methods for processing machining chips comprising aluminum-lithium alloys are provided. The method comprises cleaning machining chips comprising an aluminum-lithium alloy to remove at least a portion of processing fluid from the machining chips and providing cleaned machining chips. The method also comprises compressing a volume of the cleaned chips to provide a compact comprising a density of at least 70% of the full theoretical density of the aluminum-lithium alloy.

Articles and methods for processing aluminum are generally described. The aluminum can include compositions of gallium and/or indium such that the aluminum is activated to react with water.