A 2-step high temperature process for recovering Ni, Co, and Mn from various sources comprises preparing a metallurgical charge comprising materials containing Ni, Co, and Mn, and Si, Al, Ca and Mg as slag formers; smelting the charge with slag formers in first reducing conditions, thereby obtaining a NiCo alloy comprising a major part of at least one of Co and Ni, with Si<0.1%, and a first slag comprising the major part of the Mn; separation of the first slag from the alloy; and, smelting the first slag in second reducing conditions, more reducing than said first reducing conditions, thereby obtaining a SiMn alloy comprising the major part of the Mn, with Si>10%, and a second slag. A NiCo alloy is produced, and a SiMn alloy is produced. The second slag is essentially free of heavy metals and therefore suitable for reuse.

Provided is a method which allows for strict control of an oxygen partial pressure required for the heating and melting of a raw material, and thereby more efficient recovery of a valuable metal. The method for recovering a valuable metal (Cu, Ni, and Co) includes the steps of: preparing a charge comprising at least phosphorus (P) and a valuable metal as a raw material; heating and melting the raw material to form a molten body and then converting the molten body into a molten product comprising an alloy and a slag; and separating the slag from the molten product to recover the alloy comprising the valuable metal, wherein the heating and melting of the raw material comprises directly measuring an oxygen partial pressure in the molten body using an oxygen analyzer, and regulating the oxygen partial pressure based on the obtained measurement result.

The present invention provides a method for recovering valuable metals from waste lithium ion batteries. The method comprises: short-circuit discharging, dismantling, crushing, roasting, and screening on waste lithium ion batteries to obtain active electrode powders; using alkaline solution to wash the active electrode powders, then filtering to remove copper and aluminum; drying the activated electrode powder after alkaline washing treatment, mix the dried activated electrode powder with starch and concentrated sulfuric acid and stir evenly to obtain the mixed material; calcining the mixed material with controlling the atmosphere; taking out the product obtained from calcination and using deionized water to extract the leachate and leaching residue with valence metal ions, and then obtaining the leachate after filtering. The present invention can reduce the concentration of impurity ions in the leaching solution, improve the purity and comprehensive recovery rate of valuable metals, and reduce the recovery cost.

Provided is a method for treating waste lithium-ion batteries, the method capable of providing battery powder without treatment of fluorine generated by thermal decomposition. In the present invention, a waste lithium-ion battery is heat-treated in a range of temperatures equal to or more than a temperature at which an electrolytic solution is evaporated to dryness and less than a temperature at which fluororesin is thermally decomposed.

A volatiles consuming eductor system for coated scrap metal furnaces with separate delacquering and melt chambers. Motive gas is forced through an inlet into a mixing chamber in a direction opposite a suction port, creating a Venturi that draws gases from the delaquering chamber through the mixing chamber. The motive gas and the drawn gases mix and are forced through a discharge port, ignited, and injected into the melt chamber to help heat the melt chamber. A computer monitors process conditions and controls a regulator that adjusts the motive gas flow in response to those conditions.

There is provided a method for collecting and reusing an active material from positive electrode scrap. The method for reusing a positive electrode active material of the present disclosure includes (a) thermally treating positive electrode scrap comprising an active material layer on a current collector in air for thermal decomposition of a binder and a conductive material in the active material layer, to separate the current collector from the active material layer, and collecting an active material in the active material layer, (b-1) washing the active material collected from the step (a) with a lithium compound solution which is basic in an aqueous solution, (b-2) mixing the active material washed from the step (b-1) with a lithium precursor aqueous solution and spray drying, and (c) annealing the active material spray dried from the step (b-2) to obtain a reusable active material.

The present invention concerns the recovery of cobalt from cobalt-bearing materials, in particular from cobalt-bearing lithium-ion secondary batteries, from the spent batteries, or from their scrap. A process is divulged for the recovery of cobalt from cobalt-bearing materials, comprising the steps of: providing a converter furnace, charging slag formers and one or more of copper matte, copper-nickel matte, and impure alloy into the furnace, and injecting an oxidizing gas so as to smelt the charge in oxidizing conditions, thereby obtaining a molten bath comprising a crude metal phase, and a cobalt-bearing slag, and separating the crude metal from the cobalt-bearing slag, characterized in that the cobalt-bearing materials are charged into the furnace. This process is particularly suitable for recycling cobalt-bearing lithium-ion secondary batteries. Cobalt is concentrated in a limited amount of converter slag, from which it can economically be retrieved, together with other elements such as copper and/or nickel.

In order to provide a method and device that allow sorting of light-alloy aluminium scrap, the disclosure proposes a method for sorting aluminium scrap and alloys thereof wherein the aluminium scrap is fed to a measuring station, where the electrical conductivity of each aluminium part is measured, and, depending on the result of the measurement, the part is transported further on a dedicated path.

Described are embodiments of a lithium metal phosphate production methods and systems. The systems and methods can include combining lithium extraction from spodumene, lithium recycling from lithium ion battery (LIB) black mass, and/or lithium metal phosphate synthesis from metal phosphates.

Described are embodiments of a lithium metal phosphate production methods and systems. The systems and methods can include combining lithium extraction from spodumene, lithium recycling from lithium ion battery (LIB) black mass, and/or lithium metal phosphate synthesis from metal phosphates.