An electrowinning system is provided that is capable of suppressing accumulation of a side reaction product on an anode and a rise of an electrolysis voltage caused thereby, and an electrowinning method is provided using the system. To solve this problem, the electrowinning system of the present invention applies predetermined electrolysis current between an anode and a cathode placed in an electrolyte, thereby depositing a desired metal on the cathode, in which the electrolyte is a sulfuric acid-based or chloride-based solution containing ions of the metal, and the anode has a catalytic layer, containing amorphous iridium oxide or amorphous ruthenium oxide, formed on a conductive substrate.

An electrowinning system is provided that is capable of suppressing accumulation of a side reaction product on an anode and a rise of an electrolysis voltage caused thereby, and an electrowinning method is provided using the system. To solve this problem, the electrowinning system of the present invention applies predetermined electrolysis current between an anode and a cathode placed in an electrolyte, thereby depositing a desired metal on the cathode, in which the electrolyte is a sulfuric acid-based or chloride-based solution containing ions of the metal, and the anode has a catalytic layer, containing amorphous iridium oxide or amorphous ruthenium oxide, formed on a conductive substrate.

A method for recovering metals from tungsten-containing metallic materials includes the steps of: providing a cathode and the tungsten-containing metallic material as an anode in an electrolyte solution which has a neutral, acidic or basic pH value; and subjecting the tungsten-containing metallic material to an electrolysis process under a power density that is greater than 3 W/cm.sup.2 on the anode so that a passivation layer formed on the anode during the electrolysis process is broken down to permit the tungsten-containing metallic material to be continuously dissolved and oxidized, and a tungsten-containing compound is formed in the electrolyte solution.

The present invention describes systems and methods of a novel hydrometallurgical process to perform reductive-acid leaching and separation of constituent compounds from solid material generated from the electrodes of lithium-ion batteries, or other source material containing target high-value materials. The process method involves the initial reductive-acid leaching with sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid of the source material which may be performed in a single or a multi-step embodiment. In a single-step embodiment, the reductive-acid leaching results in two outlet streams, a leachate solution and a bulk solid, such as graphite. In a two-step embodiment, a dilute reductive-acid leaching results in a lithium brine that may be bled as a product stream. The resulting liquor, or leachate, can be subjected to precipitation and oxidation steps to remove other compounds except, for example lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Electrowinning may then be used to separate and recover cobalt and nickel alloys among other high value compounds from a lithium brine.

The present invention describes systems and methods of a novel hydrometallurgical process to perform reductive-acid leaching and separation of constituent compounds from solid material generated from the electrodes of lithium-ion batteries, or other source material containing target high-value materials. The process method involves the initial reductive-acid leaching with sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid of the source material which may be performed in a single or a multi-step embodiment. In a single-step embodiment, the reductive-acid leaching results in two outlet streams, a leachate solution and a bulk solid, such as graphite. In a two-step embodiment, a dilute reductive-acid leaching results in a lithium brine that may be bled as a product stream. The resulting liquor, or leachate, can be subjected to precipitation and oxidation steps to remove other compounds except, for example lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Electrowinning may then be used to separate and recover cobalt and nickel alloys among other high value compounds from a lithium brine.

The present disclosure relates to a process for the recovery of transition metals from batteries comprising treating a transition metal material with a leaching agent to yield a leach which contains dissolved copper impurities, and depositing the dissolved copper impurities as elemental copper on a particulate deposition cathode by electrolysis of an electrolyte containing the leach.

The present disclosure relates to a process for the recovery of transition metals from batteries comprising treating a transition metal material with a leaching agent to yield a leach which contains dissolved copper impurities, and depositing the dissolved copper impurities as elemental copper on a particulate deposition cathode by electrolysis of an electrolyte containing the leach.

A method and device of removing and recycling metals from a mixing acid solution, includes adsorbing a mixing acid solution with a pH value of −1 to 4 and a cobalt ion concentration of 100 to 1,000 mg/L by at least two cation resins in series setting to the cobalt ion concentration in the mixing acid solution is less than 10 mg/L, and then adjusting the pH value of the mixing acid solution after adsorption to meet a discharge standard, wherein the particle size of the at least two cation resins in series setting is 150˜1,200 μm. After the cation resins are saturated by adsorption, regenerating the cation resins by sulfuric acid to form a cobalt sulfate solution, and then electrolytically treating the cobalt sulfate solution to obtain electrolytic cobalt and sulfuric acid electrolyte. The operation process is simple without complicated equipment, and it can effectively recycle metals from mixing acid solutions. The cationic resin and sulfuric acid solution can also be reused, so the method of the present invention has environmental and economic benefits.

A method and device of removing and recycling metals from a mixing acid solution, includes adsorbing a mixing acid solution with a pH value of −1 to 4 and a cobalt ion concentration of 100 to 1,000 mg/L by at least two cation resins in series setting to the cobalt ion concentration in the mixing acid solution is less than 10 mg/L, and then adjusting the pH value of the mixing acid solution after adsorption to meet a discharge standard, wherein the particle size of the at least two cation resins in series setting is 150˜1,200 μm. After the cation resins are saturated by adsorption, regenerating the cation resins by sulfuric acid to form a cobalt sulfate solution, and then electrolytically treating the cobalt sulfate solution to obtain electrolytic cobalt and sulfuric acid electrolyte. The operation process is simple without complicated equipment, and it can effectively recycle metals from mixing acid solutions. The cationic resin and sulfuric acid solution can also be reused, so the method of the present invention has environmental and economic benefits.

A method for manufacturing a sulfuric acid solution includes supplying a chloride ion-containing sulfuric acid solution as an initial electrolyte in an electrolyzer inside of which is divided into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber by a diaphragm; and subsequently taking out a metal dissolved electrolyte in which a metal constituting the anode is dissolved from the anode chamber while supplying a current to an anode and a cathode disposed in the electrolyzer.