A stepwise recovery of metals from hybrid cathodes of spent Li-ion batteries with leaching-flotation-precipitation process

The recovering of valuable metals in spent lithium-ion battery cathodes brings about economic and environmental benefits. A stepwise leaching-flotation-precipitation process is adopted to separate and recover Li/Fe/Mn from the mixed types of cathode materials (hybrid wastes of LiFePO4 and LiMn2O4). The optimal operating conditions for the stepwise recovery process are determined and analyzed by factorial design, thermodynamics calculation, XRD and SEM characterization in this study. First, Li/Fe/Mn ions are released from the cathode using HCl assisted with H2O2 in the acid leaching step. The leachability of metals follows the series Li > Fe > Mn in the acidic environment. Then Fe3+ ions are selectively floated and recovered as FeCl3 from the leachate in the flotation step. Finally, Mn2+/Mn3+ and Li+ ions are sequentially precipitated and separated as MnO2/Mn2O3 and Li3PO4 using saturated KMnO4 solution and hot saturated Na3PO4 solution, respectively. Under the optimized and advisable conditions, the total recovery of Li, Fe and Mn is respectively 80.93 ± 0.16%, 85.40 ± 0.12% and 81.02 ± 0.08%. The purity for lithium, ferrum and manganese compounds is respectively 99.32 ± 0.07%, 97.91 ± 0.05% and 98.73 ± 0.05%. This stepwise process could provide an alternative way for the effective separation and recovery of metal values from spent Li-ion battery cathodes in industry.