Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Mn (manganese), Li (lithium), and Fe (iron) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of desirable materials such as cobalt, nickel and manganese dissolved as compounds from the exhausted cathode material of spent cells. Depending on a desired proportion, or ratio, of the desired materials, raw materials are added to the solution to achieve the desired ratio of the commingled compounds for the recycled cathode material for new cells. The desired materials precipitate out of solution without extensive heating or separation of the desired materials into individual compounds or elements. The resulting active cathode material has the predetermined ratio for use in new cells, and avoids high heat typically required to separate the useful elements because the desired materials remain commingled in solution.

Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Mn (manganese), Li (lithium), and Fe (iron) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of desirable materials such as cobalt, nickel and manganese dissolved as compounds from the exhausted cathode material of spent cells. Depending on a desired proportion, or ratio, of the desired materials, raw materials are added to the solution to achieve the desired ratio of the commingled compounds for the recycled cathode material for new cells. The desired materials precipitate out of solution without extensive heating or separation of the desired materials into individual compounds or elements. The resulting active cathode material has the predetermined ratio for use in new cells, and avoids high heat typically required to separate the useful elements because the desired materials remain commingled in solution.

A process for removal of aluminium and iron in the recycling of rechargeable batteries comprising providing a leachate from black mass, adding phosphoric acid (H.sub.3PO.sub.4) to said leachate and adjusting the pH to form iron phosphate (FePO.sub.4) and aluminium phosphate (AlPO.sub.4), precipitating and removing the formed FePO.sub.4 and AlPO.sub.4, and forming a filtrate for further recovery of cathode metals, mainly NMC-metals and lithium.

A process for removal of aluminium and iron in the recycling of rechargeable batteries comprising providing a leachate from black mass, adding phosphoric acid (H.sub.3PO.sub.4) to said leachate and adjusting the pH to form iron phosphate (FePO.sub.4) and aluminium phosphate (AlPO.sub.4), precipitating and removing the formed FePO.sub.4 and AlPO.sub.4, and forming a filtrate for further recovery of cathode metals, mainly NMC-metals and lithium.

A method, a system, and an apparatus for preparing manganese sulfate are provided. The method comprises introducing materials comprising a first stream, a second stream, and a reductant to a reactor to form a mixture. The first stream comprises a sulfate-containing acid, and the second stream comprises a manganese oxide compound. At least a portion of the mixture is reacted to provide a reactor outlet stream comprising an aqueous portion and an undissolved portion. The method comprises separating at least a portion of the aqueous portion from the undissolved portion in the reactor outlet stream to produce an aqueous stream comprising manganese sulfate and an undissolved stream.

An alloy treatment method is provided, in which a solution containing nickel and/or cobalt is obtained from an alloy containing nickel and/or cobalt and also containing copper and zinc, the method comprising: a leaching step for subjecting the alloy to a leaching treatment with an acid under the condition where a sulfating agent is present to produce a leachate; a reduction step for subjecting the leachate to a reduction treatment using a reducing agent to produce a reduced solution; an oxidation/neutralization step for adding an oxidizing agent and a neutralizing agent to the reduced solution to produce a neutralized solution containing nickel and/or cobalt and also containing zinc; and a solvent extraction step for subjecting the neutralized solution to a solvent extraction procedure using an acidic phosphorus compound-based extractant to produce a solution containing nickel and/or cobalt.

A process for the recovery of lithium from lithium bearing mica rich minerals, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more lithium bearing mica rich minerals to at least one pre-treatment step, passing the pre-treated ore to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps in which one or more impurity metals are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product.

A variety of systems, methods and compositions are disclosed, including, in one method for recycling a spent alkaline battery comprising: dissolving insoluble metal ions in aqueous solution thereby producing pregnant leach solution; extracting zinc sulfate from aqueous solution thereby producing zinc sulfate product and raffinate solution comprising manganese sulfate and potassium sulfate; separating manganese hydroxide from raffinate solution thereby producing manganese sulfate product and aqueous potassium sulfate solution; crystallizing aqueous potassium sulfate solution to produce solid potassium sulfate product. A system for recycling spent alkaline battery comprising: first liquid-solid extraction unit capable of dissolving insoluble metal ions in aqueous solution thereby producing pregnant leach solution; liquid-liquid extraction unit capable of extracting zinc from pregnant leach solution; second liquid-solid extraction unit capable of precipitating manganese hydroxide from raffinate produced by liquid-liquid extraction unit; and third liquid-solid extraction unit capable of crystallizing aqueous potassium sulfate solution produced by second liquid-solid extraction unit.

High purity manganese having a purity of 3N (99.9%) or more, wherein number of non-metal inclusions with a size of 0.5 μm or more is 50000 or less per 1 g of the high purity manganese. A method for producing high purity manganese, wherein refining is performed using a raw material (secondary raw material) obtained by acid-washing a manganese raw material (primary raw material) so that the produced high purity manganese has a purity of 3N (99.9%) or more, and number of non-metal inclusions with a size of 0.5 μm or more is 50000 or less per 1 g of the high purity manganese. The present invention provides a method for producing high purity metal manganese from commercially available manganese, and aims to obtain high purity metal manganese having a low LPC.

High purity manganese having a purity of 3N (99.9%) or more, wherein number of non-metal inclusions with a size of 0.5 μm or more is 50000 or less per 1 g of the high purity manganese. A method for producing high purity manganese, wherein refining is performed using a raw material (secondary raw material) obtained by acid-washing a manganese raw material (primary raw material) so that the produced high purity manganese has a purity of 3N (99.9%) or more, and number of non-metal inclusions with a size of 0.5 μm or more is 50000 or less per 1 g of the high purity manganese. The present invention provides a method for producing high purity metal manganese from commercially available manganese, and aims to obtain high purity metal manganese having a low LPC.