Apparatus (10) for safe and effective shredding of batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, is disclosed. The system integrates a shredding subassembly (12), an auger/screw conveyor subassembly (14), a rotary screen subassembly (16), and an optional solvent recovery/recirculation subassembly (18). Valves/actuators (26, 28) can be coordinated such that a nitrogen blanket or a vacuum is maintained within the shredding assembly and/or the other subassemblies (16, 18). Shredded battery materials are transported to the rotary screen subassembly (16) via the auger-screw conveyor assembly (14) before being washed and split into solid and liquid sub-components.

A method includes one or more of the following five steps: rough processing, comminuting the material, washing the material with acid, and collecting/sorting the material to recover an aluminum product or a very pure aluminum product. A system may execute one or more of these steps to recover an aluminum product or a very pure aluminum product.

A method includes one or more of the following five steps: rough processing, comminuting the material, washing the material with acid, and collecting/sorting the material to recover an aluminum product or a very pure aluminum product. A system may execute one or more of these steps to recover an aluminum product or a very pure aluminum product.

A mineral liberation machine comprising vertical wet grinding mill (10) for grinding coarse material comprising a cylindrical housing (14) containing a rotatable shaft (15) creating an annular channel (17) with an input feed (16) for supplying coarse material and an output feed (18) for withdrawing ground product, in which the rotatable shaft (15) is equipped with a plurality of rotor discs (20) and the cylindrical housing (14) is equipped with one or more stators or stator discs (22), the discs (20, 22) on the rotatable shaft (15) and cylindrical housing (14) are interleaved such that the ratio of the height of the housing (14) to the diameter of the housing (14) is low with the diameter to height ratio being between 0.6-1.2.

A container grinding system having a box equipped with a closing device coupled to a first safety device, the box having a container introduction opening arranged in a top part of the box and capable of being closed by the closing device, the grinding system having a grinder having at least one grinding shaft for shredding chipped containers, a filtering basket recovering the ground material from the grinding of containers, and a set of rinse nozzles, the grinding system being configured so that following the introduction of a container into the box for grinding the same, the first safety device inhibits the operation of the grinder as long as the closing device does not ensure closing of the box.

A container grinding system having a box equipped with a closing device coupled to a first safety device, the box having a container introduction opening arranged in a top part of the box and capable of being closed by the closing device, the grinding system having a grinder having at least one grinding shaft for shredding chipped containers, a filtering basket recovering the ground material from the grinding of containers, and a set of rinse nozzles, the grinding system being configured so that following the introduction of a container into the box for grinding the same, the first safety device inhibits the operation of the grinder as long as the closing device does not ensure closing of the box.