Economic and Environmental Sustainability of an Innovative Cryo-Mechano-Hydrometallurgical Process Validated at Pilot Scale for the Recycling of Li Batteries

An innovative cryo-mechano-hydrometallurgical process (named LIBAT) was demonstrated at pilot scale for the treatment of EOL lithium primary batteries with chemistry Li(0)-MnO2. The process allowed the recycling of steel scraps from external cases after cryomechanical dismantling, and the recovery of Mn and Li products after hydrometallurgical processing. During demonstration activities, about nine tons of batteries were treated in the cryomechanical section, and one ton of black mass was treated in the hydrometallurgical section for the recovery of Mn hydroxides and Li2CO3. The environmental impacts of the process were evaluated in comparison with an innovative pyrometallurgical approach allowing Li recovery, confirming the benefits of the proposed process due to a reduction in energy consumption. Process simulations were performed considering different mixture feeds (only Li primary, or mixture with Li-ion batteries) and process options (only the cryomechanical section of the integral process) to assess the lower limits of potentiality that would ensure economic sustainability.

Automated summary

The LIBAT process, an innovative cryo-mechano-hydrometallurgical method, was successfully used to treat EOL lithium primary batteries with chemistry Li(0)-MnO2. This process enabled the recycling of steel scraps from external cases through cryomechanical dismantling, and the recovery of Mn and Li products through hydrometallurgical processing. The environmental impacts of the process were compared with an innovative pyrometallurgical approach, and the proposed process demonstrated reduced energy consumption. Process simulations were performed to assess the economic sustainability of different mixture feeds and process options.