This method for recovering a valuable metal from a used LIB includes: a step of adding, to an electrode assembly taken out of a detoxified used LIB, metallic zinc in an excess amount relative to a mass of the electrode assembly; a step of heating a mixture of the electrode assembly and the metallic zinc to form a molten metal; a step of taking out the molten metal and separating the molten metal into an alloy metal and a slag; and a step of heating the alloy metal to volatilize zinc in the alloy metal, and thereby, recovering an alloy metal of a valuable metal.

A valuable metal recovery method includes: recovering a battery slag from lithium ion battery waste; adding an acid to the battery slag; adding a sulfur compound the leachate; filtering the first processed product to obtain a first processed filtrate; adding a sulfur compound to the first processed filtrate; filtering the second processed product to obtain a second processed filtrate; adding calcium hydroxide to the second processed filtrate; filtering the third processed product to obtain a third processed filtrate; adding sodium carbonate to the third processed filtrate; filtering the processed product; heating the fourth processed filtrate; blowing carbon dioxide or adding a carbonate; and filtering the processed product, wherein a pH of the second processed product is higher than a pH of the first processed product, and a pH of the third processed product is higher than the pH of the second processed product.

The present disclosure relates to a method of recycling a positive electrode active material and a recycled positive electrode active material prepared by the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method of recycling a positive electrode active material, the method including step A of fragmenting a waste battery including a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode to form waste battery scraps; step B of removing the negative electrode by jetting compressed air onto the waste battery scraps; and step C of treating the waste battery scraps from which the negative electrode has been removed with a solvent to remove the separator and obtain positive electrode scraps, and a recycled positive electrode active material prepared by the method.

The invention relates to a process for treating, with a plasma, a composition comprising at least a first compound and a second compound, characterized in that said process comprises at least: generating, within an enclosure, a non-equilibrium plasma flow from a gas present in said enclosure, and treating the composition contained in said enclosure with said non-equilibrium plasma flow so as to extract at least a portion of said first compound.

The present disclosure concerns a process for the concentration of lithium in metallurgical fumes. The process comprises the steps of: providing a metallurgical molten bath furnace; preparing a metallurgical charge comprising lithium-bearing material, transition metals, and fluxing agents; smelting the metallurgical charge and fluxing agents in reducing conditions in said furnace, thereby obtaining a molten bath with an alloy and a slag phase; and, optionally separating the alloy and the slag phase; characterized in that a major part of the lithium is fumed as LiCl from the molten slag, by addition of alkali or earth alkali chloride to the process. Using a single smelting step, valuable transition metals such as cobalt and nickel also present in the charge are collected in an alloy phase, while the lithium reports to the fumes. The lithium in the fumes is available in concentrated form, suitable for subsequent hydrometallurgical processing.

The present disclosure concerns an apparatus suitable for smelting and separating metals in flexible oxido-reduction conditions. More particularly, it concerns an apparatus for smelting metallurgical charges comprising a bath furnace susceptible to contain a molten charge up to a determined level, characterized in that the furnace is equipped with: at least one non-transfer plasma torch for the generation of first hot gases; at least one oxygas burner for the generation of second hot gasses; and, submerged injectors for injecting said first and second hot gases below said determined level.

A recycling process that facilitates separation of materials from metallic substrates by cryogenically cooling the recyclable items to induce embrittlement of the metals. Embrittled metals may be shattered more efficiently and with a higher yield of materials bound to the metallic substrates. Metal embrittlement may be induced by mixing the source stream with liquid nitrogen, and cooling the stream to approximately minus 200 F. Multiple recovery stages may be employed to maximize the yield of the target materials. Embodiments may enable recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs) from catalytic converters with metallic foil substrates. Yield of PGMs may be enhanced by employing a primary recovery stage and a secondary recovery stage, by cryogenically cooling input materials for each stage, by mixing the pulverized material in secondary recovery with an aqueous solution to dissipate attractive charges, and by wet screening the pulverized material slurry to obtain the PGM particles.

A process for manufacturing a reclaimed alloy material includes the steps of crushing a magnetic core including an amorphous alloy ribbon; putting a prepared organic solvent and crushed pieces obtained in the step of crushing into a container and putting the crushed pieces into contact with the organic solvent in the container; selectively discharging the organic solvent from the container after putting the crushed pieces into contact with the organic solvent; and evaporating, after discharging the organic solvent, the organic solvent remaining in the container. The crushed pieces, removed from the container after the organic solvent is evaporated, is reused as a reclaimed alloy material.

A process for the incineration of activated coal-supported PGM catalysts, the process comprising a joint incineration of a multilayer arrangement, wherein the multilayer arrangement includes (i) a top layer of particulate activated coal-supported PGM catalyst, (ii) a layer of coarse charcoal located beneath said top layer and, optionally, (iii) a layer of particulate coke located beneath the charcoal layer, and wherein an upward flow of oxidizing gas is homogeneously passed through said multilayer arrangement during the incineration.

The invention relates to a method for treating used lithium batteries (10) containing the steps: comminuting the batteries (10) such that comminuted material (24) is obtained, and (b) inactivating of the comminuted material (24) such that an inactive comminuted material (42) is obtained. According to the invention, the drying is conducted at a maximum pressure of 300 hPa and a maximum temperature of 80? C. and the deactivated comminuted material (42) is not filled into a transport container and/or said deactivated comminuted material is immediately further processed after the drying process.