A process and method for producing a crystallized metal sulfate. The crystallized metal sulfate may be battery-grade. The method may comprise receiving a metal ion-containing stream and crystalizing a metal sulfate from the stream. The process may comprise receiving a stream from a metal processing plant, and crystalizing a metal sulfate from the stream. The process may be a metal electrowinning process comprising crystalizing a metal ion-containing stream to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor. The process or method may comprise returning the mother liquor upstream or to the metal electrowinning process.

A treatment process for crystallizing a metal sulfate involving pre-treating a feedstock comprising calcium, magnesium, and/or lithium impurities, the pre-treating involving pre-leaching the feedstock in the presence of a lixiviant, selectively extracting a first portion of any of the impurities from the feedstock, and forming a leached solution comprising an uncrystallized metal sulfate and any remaining impurities; and/or refining the leached solution and removing a second portion of any of the remaining impurities; and crystallizing the uncrystallized metal sulfate from the leached solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate. So processed, the crystallized metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.

Disclosed is a method for producing battery-grade nickel sulfate by using laterite nickel ore comprising the following steps: sorting the laterite nickel ore to obtain lump ore and sediment ore; crushing the lump ore, and then performing heap leaching, to obtain a crude nickel sulfate solution A; separating the sediment ore to obtain high chromium ore, low iron, high magnesium ore, and high iron, low magnesium ore, and drying, roasting, reducing, and sulfurating the low iron, high magnesium ore to obtain low nickel matte; blowing and performing water extraction on the low nickel matte, and then performing oxygen pressure leaching, to obtain a crude nickel sulfate solution B; performing pressure leaching on the high iron, low magnesium ore to obtain a crude nickel sulfate solution C; and performing extraction on the crude nickel sulfate solutions A, B, and C, and then evaporating and crystallizing, to obtain battery-grade nickel sulfate.

A method for recovering lithium from lithium ion battery scrap according to this invention comprises subjecting lithium ion battery scrap to a calcination step, a crushing step, and a sieving step sequentially carried out, wherein the method comprises, between the calcination step and the crushing step, between the crushing step and the sieving step, or after the sieving step, a lithium dissolution step of bringing the lithium ion battery scrap into contact with water and dissolving lithium contained in the lithium ion battery scrap in the water to obtain a lithium-dissolved solution; a lithium concentration step of solvent-extracting lithium ions contained in the lithium-dissolved solution and stripping them to concentrate the lithium ions to obtain a lithium concentrate; and a carbonation step of carbonating the lithium ions in the lithium concentrate to obtain lithium carbonate.

A method of separating and recovering a cobalt salt and a nickel salt includes a separation step of separating, by using a nanofiltration membrane, a cobalt salt and a nickel salt from a rare metal-containing aqueous solution containing at least both the cobalt salt and the nickel salt as rare metals, in which the nanofiltration membrane has a glucose permeability of 3 times or more a sucrose permeability, the sucrose permeability of 10% or less, and an isopropyl alcohol permeability of 50% or more when a 1,000 mg/L glucose aqueous solution, a 1,000 mg/L sucrose aqueous solution, and a 1,000 mg/L isopropyl alcohol aqueous solution, each having a pH of 6.5 and a temperature of 25° C., individually permeate through the nanofiltration membrane at an operating pressure of 0.5 MPa.

The present disclosure concerns the production of precursor compounds for lithium battery cathodes. Batteries or their scrap are smelted in reducing conditions, thereby forming an alloy suitable for further hydrometallurgical refining, and a slag. The alloy is leached in acidic conditions, producing a Ni- and Co-bearing solution, which is refined. The refining steps are greatly simplified as most elements susceptible to interfere with the refining steps concentrate in the slag. Metals such as Co, Ni and Mn are then precipitated from the solution, forming a suitable starting product for the synthesis of new battery precursor compounds.

Provided are a battery-level Ni—Co—Mn mixed solution and a preparation method for a battery-level Mn solution, the steps thereof comprising: acid dissolution (S1), alkalization to remove impurities (S2), synchronous precipitation of calcium, magnesium, and lithium (S3), deep ageing to remove impurities (S4), synergistic extraction (S5), and refining extraction (S6). The steps of deep ageing to remove impurities (S4) and synergistic extraction (S5) comprise: performing deep ageing on a filtrate obtained from the step of synchronous precipitation of calcium, magnesium, and lithium (S3), and after performing filtration to remove impurities, obtaining an aged filtrate; using P204 to extract the aged filtrate and obtain a loaded organic phase, and subjecting the loaded organic phase to staged back-extraction to obtain the battery-level Ni—Co—Mn mixed solution and a Mn-containing solution. By means of the cooperation between the multiple process steps of synchronous precipitation of calcium, magnesium, and lithium (S3), deep ageing to remove impurities (S4), and synergistic extraction (S5), the impurity content of the obtained battery-level Ni—Co—Mn mixed solution is significantly lowered, and the battery-level Ni—Co—Mn mixed solution can be directly used to prepare a lithium battery ternary precursor material. At the same time, the battery-level Mn solution can also be obtained, which is favorable for large-scale applications of the process and increasing economic benefits.

Provided are a battery-level Ni—Co—Mn mixed solution and a preparation method for a battery-level Mn solution, the steps thereof comprising: acid dissolution (S1), alkalization to remove impurities (S2), synchronous precipitation of calcium, magnesium, and lithium (S3), deep ageing to remove impurities (S4), synergistic extraction (S5), and refining extraction (S6).

The steps of deep ageing to remove impurities (S4) and synergistic extraction (S5) comprise: performing deep ageing on a filtrate obtained from the step of synchronous precipitation of calcium, magnesium, and lithium (S3), and after performing filtration to remove impurities, obtaining an aged filtrate; using P204 to extract the aged filtrate and obtain a loaded organic phase, and subjecting the loaded organic phase to staged back-extraction to obtain the battery-level Ni—Co—Mn mixed solution and a Mn-containing solution. By means of the cooperation between the multiple process steps of synchronous precipitation of calcium, magnesium, and lithium (S3), deep ageing to remove impurities (S4), and synergistic extraction (S5), the impurity content of the obtained battery-level Ni—Co—Mn mixed solution is significantly lowered, and the battery-level Ni—Co—Mn mixed solution can be directly used to prepare a lithium battery ternary precursor material. At the same time, the battery-level Mn solution can also be obtained, which is favorable for large-scale applications of the process and increasing economic benefits.

A process for removal of aluminium and iron in the recycling of rechargeable batteries comprising providing a leachate from black mass, adding phosphoric acid (H.sub.3PO.sub.4) to said leachate and adjusting the pH to form iron phosphate (FePO.sub.4) and aluminium phosphate (AlPO.sub.4), precipitating and removing the formed FePO.sub.4 and AlPO.sub.4, and forming a filtrate for further recovery of cathode metals, mainly NMC-metals and lithium.

This invention relates to a process for the recovery of cobalt ions and tungstic acid and/or its derivatives from aqueous solutions, such as in particular the spent catalytic waters deriving from processes for the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils. In particular this invention relates to a process for the recovery of cobalt ions and tungstic acid and/or its derivatives which provides for the use of cation-exchange resins.