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 process for treating spent lithium ion batteries to recover metals is disclosed. The process includes discharging the spent lithium ion batteries. The discharged lithium ion batteries are shredded and roasted in a furnace to produce roasted material. The roasted material is sieved to separate a coarser fraction and a finer fraction. The coarser fraction comprises aluminium chips and copper chips. The finer fraction is further treated to recover copper, cobalt, and nickel sequentially with a purity of 99.3-99.9%. The process also recovers manganese as manganese dioxide and lithium as lithium carbonate. The process does not generate any solid waste as all the metals and by-products such as carbon powder and gypsum cake are saleable.

Provided are processes for extracting nickel and lithium from a Ni.sup.2+/Li.sup.+ solution. The process for extracting nickel and lithium includes providing a Ni.sup.2+/Li.sup.+ solution comprising an amount of lithium and an amount of nickel, treating the Ni.sup.2+/Li.sup.+ solution with an alkaline agent to adjust the pH of the Ni.sup.2+/Li.sup.+ solution to between about 1.0 to about 10.0, and treating the Ni.sup.2+/Li.sup.+ solution with a nickel selective extractant, the nickel selective extractant suitable to extract nickel from the Ni.sup.2+/Li.sup.+ solution at said pH to thereby produce a Li.sup.+ solution with less than 1000 parts per million Ni.sup.2+. Once complete, the process provides for recoverable nickel and/or lithium that may be recycled into batteries or sold for other uses.

Provided is a method for processing lithium ion battery waste, which can effectively precipitate aluminum ions and iron ions in the solution by neutralization and relatively easily separate the precipitate. The method for processing lithium ion battery waste includes: a leaching step of leaching battery powder in an acid, the battery powder containing at least aluminum and iron and being obtained from lithium ion battery waste, and removing a leached residue by solid-liquid separation to obtain a leached solution containing at least aluminum ions and iron ions; and a neutralization step of adding phosphoric acid and/or a phosphate salt and an oxidizing agent to the leached solution, increasing a pH of the leached solution to a range of 2.0 to 3.5, precipitating the aluminum ions and the iron ions in the leached solution as aluminum phosphate and iron phosphate, respectively, and removing a neutralized residue by solid-liquid separation to obtain a neutralized solution.

A method for extracting metals from the black mass of lithium-ion batteries, the black mass containing the anode and cathode materials of the batteries, and the cathode material including lithium and nickel. An arrangement is provided that is suitable for use in the method.

A method for extracting metals from the black mass of lithium-ion batteries, the black mass containing the anode and cathode materials of the batteries, wherein the cathode material comprises lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The method is carried out by an arrangement that is suitable for use in the method.

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.

The secondary amide contained in the extraction system consists of a single compound or a mixture of two or more compounds, wherein R.sub.1 is selected from a C2C12 alkyl, or a C3C12 cycloalkyl containing a single-ring structure, R.sub.2 is selected from a C1C11 alkyl, or a C3C11 cycloalkyl containing a single-ring structure; the total number of carbon atoms in the molecule is 1218. With a volume ratio of an organic phase and a brine phase being 110:1, at a brine density of 1.251.38 g/cm.sup.3 and at a temperature of 050 C., a single-stage or multi-stage countercurrent extraction and a stripping are conducted to obtain a water phase with a low magnesium-lithium ratio, which is subjected to concentration, impurity removal and preparation to get lithium chloride, lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide respectively. Water is used for stripping, greatly reducing the consumption of acid and base, and the separation process is shortened.

A method for recovering metals from a metal-containing solution containing nickel ions, lithium ions, and anions of an inorganic acid, the method including: a nickel extraction step including extraction that mixes the metal-containing solution with a solvent while adjusting an equilibrium pH using a pH adjusting agent containing lithium ions, transfers the nickel ions in the metal-containing solution to the solvent, and separates the solvent containing the nickel ions from an extracted solution, wherein in the nickel extraction step, the extraction is carried out under conditions where the total of a lithium ion concentration of the metal-containing solution and a lithium ion concentration of the pH adjusting agent is less than or equal to a lithium ion concentration of a saturated solution of a lithium salt made of the anions of the inorganic acid and the lithium ions contained in the metal-containing solution.

In a method for recovering an active metal of a lithium secondary battery, a sulfuric acid solution is added to a lithium metal composite oxide so as to prepare a sulfated active material solution. A transition metal is extracted from the sulfated active material solution. A lithium precursor is recovered by adding a lithium extracting agent to the solution remaining after the transition metal has been extracted from the sulfated active material solution. In the method, the amount of impurities is reduced, and sulfuric acid and the neutralizing agent can be recycled so that a high-yield lithium precursor recovery is enabled.