Hydrometallurgical Recovery of Value Metals from Spent Lithium Ion Batteries

Effects of reaction variables on leaching in hydrochloric acid of LiCoO2 contained in cathodic electrode of spent lithium ion batteries were investigated. The dissolution of LiCoO2 was found to increase with an increase in temperature, concentration of HCl, time and solid/liquid (S/L) ratio. Li and Co from LiCoO2 were leached around 89% with addition of 3.5 Vol% of H2O2 as a reducing agent. The metal values contained in the leach liquor were recovered by chemical precipitation. Cobalt was separated as cobalt hydroxide and lithium was separated as lithium carbonate. The effects of pH on the extent of recovery of metal values were investigated. The products obtained were characterised by x-ray diffraction analysis.