A method for the extraction of lithium from an assembly of at least one cell of an electric battery including solid metallic lithium, such as a Lithium-Metal-Polymer battery, the method having an extraction phase including the following steps: positioning the assembly in an orientation in which a first edge of the assembly from which extend(s) one or more negative electrode or electrodes is located below a second edge of the assembly, opposite the first edge, and from which extend(s) one or more positive electrode or electrodes; and heating the assembly to a treatment temperature greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the solid metallic lithium. An installation implementing such a method is also provided.

An apparatus for carrying out size reduction of battery materials under immersion conditions can include a housing configured to hold an immersion liquid comprising at least one of sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide. A first feed chute may define an opening therein for receiving battery materials of a first type into the housing and a first submergible comminuting device may be disposed within the housing and submerged in the immersion liquid to receive the battery materials of the first type from the first feed chute. The first submergible comminuting device may be configured to cause a size reduction of the battery materials of the first type to form a first reduced-size battery material.

A method for recovering at least cobalt of valuable metals, cobalt and nickel, from an acidic solution obtained by subjecting waste containing positive electrode materials for lithium ion secondary batteries to a wet process, the acidic solution comprising cobalt ions, nickel ions and impurities, wherein the method includes: a first extraction step for Co recovery, the first extraction step being for extracting cobalt ions by solvent extraction from the acidic solution and stripping the cobalt ions; an electrolytic step for Co recovery, the electrolytic step being for providing electrolytic cobalt by electrolysis using a stripped solution obtained in the first extraction step for Co recovery as an electrolytic solution; a dissolution step for Co recovery, the dissolution step being for dissolving the electrolytic cobalt in an acid; and a second extraction step for Co recovery, the second extraction step being for extracting cobalt ions by solvent extraction from a cobalt dissolved solution obtained in the dissolution step for Co recovery and stripping the cobalt ions.

A method of processing a pyrite-containing slurry including removing pyrite from the pyrite-containing slurry and forming (i) an inert stream and (ii) a pyrite-containing material. Using the pyrite-containing material in a downstream leach step in which pyrite in the pyrite-containing material generates acid and heat that facilitates leaching a metal, such as copper or nickel or zinc or cobalt, from a metal-containing material.

A method of recycling aluminum alloy wheels, the method comprising (a) providing a feed of aluminum alloy wheels; (b) fragmenting the aluminum alloy wheels into a plurality of fragments; (c) cleaning the plurality of fragments to at least partly remove at least one contaminant element therefrom; (d) determining a contaminant concentration estimate for each contaminant element in the plurality of fragments; and (e) operating a data processor to either approve or reject the plurality of fragments, based on an aggregate contaminant concentration calculation. When the plurality of fragments is approved, they may be provided to a downstream recycling process. When the plurality of fragments is rejected, they may not be provided to the downstream recycling process without further cleaning.

Some variations provide a composition for reducing a metal ore, the composition comprising a carbon-metal ore particulate, wherein the carbon-metal ore particulate comprises at least about 0.1 wt % to at most about 50 wt % fixed carbon on a moisture-free and ash-free basis, and wherein the carbon is at least 50% renewable carbon as determined from a measurement of the .sup.14C/.sup.12C isotopic ratio. Some variations provide a process for reducing a metal ore, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock; pyrolyzing the feedstock to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas comprising hydrogen or carbon monoxide; obtaining a metal ore comprising a metal oxide; combining the carbon with the metal ore, to generate a carbon-metal ore particulate; optionally pelletizing the carbon-metal ore particulate; and utilizing the pyrolysis off-gas to chemically reduce the metal oxide to elemental metal, such as iron. The disclosed technologies are environmentally superior to conventional processes based on coal.

Some variations provide a composition for reducing a metal ore, the composition comprising a carbon-metal ore particulate, wherein the carbon-metal ore particulate comprises at least about 0.1 wt % to at most about 50 wt % fixed carbon on a moisture-free and ash-free basis, and wherein the carbon is at least 50% renewable carbon as determined from a measurement of the .sup.14C/.sup.12C isotopic ratio. Some variations provide a process for reducing a metal ore, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock; pyrolyzing the feedstock to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas comprising hydrogen or carbon monoxide; obtaining a metal ore comprising a metal oxide; combining the carbon with the metal ore, to generate a carbon-metal ore particulate; optionally pelletizing the carbon-metal ore particulate; and utilizing the pyrolysis off-gas to chemically reduce the metal oxide to elemental metal, such as iron. The disclosed technologies are environmentally superior to conventional processes based on coal.

Some variations provide a composition for reducing a metal ore, the composition comprising a carbon-metal ore particulate, wherein the carbon-metal ore particulate comprises at least about 0.1 wt % to at most about 50 wt % fixed carbon on a moisture-free and ash-free basis, and wherein the carbon is at least 50% renewable carbon as determined from a measurement of the .sup.14C/.sup.12C isotopic ratio. Some variations provide a process for reducing a metal ore, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock; pyrolyzing the feedstock to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas comprising hydrogen or carbon monoxide; obtaining a metal ore comprising a metal oxide; combining the carbon with the metal ore, to generate a carbon-metal ore particulate; optionally pelletizing the carbon-metal ore particulate; and utilizing the pyrolysis off-gas to chemically reduce the metal oxide to elemental metal, such as iron. The disclosed technologies are environmentally superior to conventional processes based on coal.

Methods of reducing copper metal content of shredded scrap steel are provided. The method includes continuously separating a first scrap steel fraction from an amount of scrap steel concurrently with separating a second fraction from the amount of scrap steel; continuously separating the second fraction and providing a nonmagnetic fraction and, concurrently, a third scrap steel fraction; grinding the nonmagnetic fraction followed by magnetic separation to provide a fourth scrap steel fraction and, concurrently, an enriched nonmagnetic fraction; continuously combining the first scrap steel fraction, the third scrap steel fraction, and the fourth scrap steel fraction to obtain a combined scrap steel product comprising scrap steel with reduced copper metal content; and introducing the combined scrap steel product to an electric arc furnace. Systems of reducing copper metal content of shredded scrap steel are also provided.

A metal furnace header gate system haying a recirculation port in the furnace, a hot gas generator, a gas blower, and a furnace door. The door has an embedded gas manifold and outlet ports that each connect the manifold to a directional nozzle. The blower draws exhaust from the recirculation port into the hot gas generator, which generates additional exhaust and mixes the exhaust gases together. The blower forces this exhaust mixture into the manifold, through the nozzles, and into the furnace. A computer controls the blower and the hot gas generator to regulate the system.