A process is disclosed for the recovery of valuable metals from oxidic ores, in particular from polymetallic nodules. The process is suitable for the recovery of Cu, Co, Ni, Fe, and Mn, which are the main metals of interest in such polymetallic nodules. The present process is, among others, characterized by the handling of Fe, which is dissolved and kept in solution until the step of crystallization rather than removed at an earlier stage. A mixed Mn—Fe residue is obtained, which, after thermal treatment, provides a Mn—Fe oxide that is suitable for the steel or for the manganese industry. Excellent Cu, Co and Ni yields are obtained, while Fe is leached and valorized together with Mn.

The invention relates to hydrometallurgical method for recovering metals from spent energy storage devices. The method comprises combining aqueous hydrobromic acid leach solution and an electrode material of spent energy storage devices in a reaction vessel, dissolving the metals contained in the electrode material to form soluble metal bromide salts, removing elemental bromine, if formed, from the reaction vessel, separating insoluble material, if present, from the leach solution to obtain a metal-bearing solution and isolating one or more metals from said metal-bearing solution.

Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Al (Aluminum) and Mn (manganese) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of desirable materials such as cobalt, nickel, aluminum 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 method for extracting metals from the black mass of lithium-ion batteries, the black mass containing the anode and cathode materials of the batteries, and the cathode material including lithium and nickel. An arrangement is provided that is suitable for use in the method.

The invention relates to hydrometallurgical method for recovering metals from spent energy storage devices. The method comprises combining aqueous hydrobromic acid leach solution and an electrode material of spent energy storage devices in a reaction vessel, dissolving the metals contained in the electrode material to form soluble metal bromide salts, removing elemental bromine, if formed, from the reaction vessel, separating insoluble material, if present, from the leach solution to obtain a metal-bearing solution and isolating one or more metals from said metal-bearing solution.

Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Al (Aluminum) and Mn (manganese) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of desirable materials such as cobalt, nickel, aluminum 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 method for producing an aqueous solution containing nickel, cobalt and manganese, includes: a leaching process including a pressure-leaching process of leaching a raw material under pressure to form a leachate containing nickel, cobalt, manganese and impurities; an impurity removal process of removing the impurities from the leachate; a target substance precipitation process of precipitating a mixed hydroxide precipitate containing nickel, cobalt and manganese by introducing a neutralizing agent into a filtrate from which the impurities are removed; and a dissolution process. The pressure-leaching process includes a first-stage pressure-leaching process and a second-stage pressure-leaching process of pressure-leaching a residue of the first-stage pressure-leaching process with an acidity higher than an acidity in the first-stage pressure-leaching process. The impurity removal process includes a first-stage solvent extraction process of selectively extracting zinc from the impurities and a second-stage solvent extraction process of selectively extracting magnesium from the impurities.

The present invention relates, inter alia, to a method of producing a co-precipitate comprising nickel, manganese and/or cobalt, and to a co-precipitate produced by the method. The method may be a method of producing a co-precipitate comprising at least two metals selected from nickel, cobalt and manganese, and comprise: (i) providing an aqueous feed solution comprising said at least two metals and at least one impurity; and (ii) adjusting the pH of the feed solution to between about 6.2 and about 11, so as to provide: (a) a co-precipitate comprising said at least two metals; and (b) a supernatant comprising said at least one impurity.

Use of a separation material comprising picolinic acid ester or picolinic acid amide functional groups immobilised on a solid support to selectively remove Ni from an aqueous solution.

A method for producing an aqueous solution containing nickel, cobalt and manganese, includes: a leaching process including a pressure-leaching process of leaching a raw material under pressure to form a leachate containing nickel, cobalt, manganese and impurities; an impurity removal process of removing the impurities from the leachate; a target substance precipitation process of precipitating a mixed hydroxide precipitate containing nickel, cobalt and manganese by introducing a neutralizing agent into a filtrate from which the impurities are removed; and a dissolution process. The pressure-leaching process includes a first-stage pressure-leaching process and a second-stage pressure-leaching process of pressure-leaching a residue of the first-stage pressure-leaching process with an acidity higher than an acidity in the first-stage pressure-leaching process. The impurity removal process includes a first-stage solvent extraction process of selectively extracting zinc from the impurities and a second-stage solvent extraction process of selectively extracting magnesium from the impurities.