Flexible processes and systems for recovering manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) as a purified co-precipitated product or alternatively independent products, from a lithium-ion battery waste stream are provided. The process may include upstream leaching and impurity removal prior to separation in a metal recovery system that may include a manganese (Mn) recovery unit to generate a manganese (Mn)-containing product, a cobalt (Co) recovery unit to generate a cobalt (Co)-containing product or a nickel (Ni) recovery unit to generate a nickel (Ni)-containing product or alternatively and optionally may include a co-precipitator unit to form a co-precipitated product. A lithium (Li) recovery unit may further process a portion of the waste liquid stream to form a lithium (Li)-containing product.

Flexible processes and systems for recovering manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) as a purified co-precipitated product or alternatively independent products, from a lithium-ion battery waste stream are provided. The process may include upstream leaching and impurity removal prior to separation in a metal recovery system that may include a manganese (Mn) recovery unit to generate a manganese (Mn)-containing product, a cobalt (Co) recovery unit to generate a cobalt (Co)-containing product or a nickel (Ni) recovery unit to generate a nickel (Ni)-containing product or alternatively and optionally may include a co-precipitator unit to form a co-precipitated product. A lithium (Li) recovery unit may further process a portion of the waste liquid stream to form a lithium (Li)-containing product.

Flexible processes and systems for recovering manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) as a purified co-precipitated product or alternatively independent products, from a lithium-ion battery waste stream are provided. The process may include upstream leaching and impurity removal prior to separation in a metal recovery system that may include a manganese (Mn) recovery unit to generate a manganese (Mn)-containing product, a cobalt (Co) recovery unit to generate a cobalt (Co)-containing product or a nickel (Ni) recovery unit to generate a nickel (Ni)-containing product or alternatively and optionally may include a co-precipitator unit to form a co-precipitated product. A lithium (Li) recovery unit may further process a portion of the waste liquid stream to form a lithium (Li)-containing product.

What is provided is a method for separating cobalt and nickel including: a crushing and sorting step of crushing and classifying the lithium ion secondary battery to obtain an electrode material containing at least cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium; a leaching step of immersing the electrode material in a processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide to obtain a leachate; a copper separation step of adding a hydrogen sulfide compound to the leachate with stirring and subsequently carrying out solid-liquid separation to obtain an eluate containing cobalt and nickel and a residue containing copper sulfide; and a cobalt/nickel separation step of adding an alkali metal hydroxide to the eluate to adjust a pH and subsequently, adding a hydrogen sulfide compound with stirring and carrying out solid-liquid separation to obtain a precipitate containing cobalt sulfide and nickel sulfide and a residual liquid containing lithium.

A method of recovering metal from battery waste is provided. The method includes providing a battery waste leachate comprising metal ions and sulphate ions in an acidic medium, contacting the battery waste leachate with a reagent comprising ammonium ions to precipitate the metal ions as a double sulphate salt having formula (NH.sub.4).sub.2M(SO.sub.4).sub.2.Math.6H.sub.2O, wherein M is one or more of Ni, Mn and Co, heating the precipitate at a temperature of 400 C. or more to form an anhydrous precipitate, dissolving the anhydrous precipitate in a solution comprising sulphate ions and crystallizing MSO.sub.4.Math.6H.sub.2O from the resultant solution.