Recovery of Co, Mn, Ni, and Li from spent lithium ion batteries for the preparation of LiNixCoyMnzO2 cathode materials

Cathode materials of spent lithium ion batteries (LIBs) were recycled in an environmentally responsible manner to synthesize LiNixCoyMnzO2 cathode materials for LIBs. N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as ultrasonic solvent was chosen to separate the cathode active materials from the Al foil under ultrasonic treatment for 3 min at room temperature. The cathode active materials were calcined at 750 degrees C for 4 h in a muffle oven to eliminate carbon and polyvinylidene fluoride. The composition and morphology of the directly dismantled cathode materials, cathode active materials, calcination products, and leach residues were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electronic microscopy. The proportion and element distributions were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The results showed that carbon and polyvinylidene fluoride in the cathode active materials were converted into volatile components, and small amounts of Co3O4 and Al2O3 were generated during the calcination stage; the residual calcination products could be dissolved to achieve 100% dissolution rate during the microwave digestion. The preparation of LiNixCoyMnzO2 cathode materials for LIBs appears to be effective with the simultaneous recovery of the mixed metal Co, Mn, Ni, and Li ions from spent LIBs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.