Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University of Missouri

Yan Wang

Diran Apelian

Eric Gratz

Zhangfeng Zheng

Haiyang Zou

Joseph Heelan

Qina Sa

Xiaotu Ma

Kee-Chan Kim

Jinzhao Fu

Heng Pan

Yang Bai

Wenhuan Li

Brandon Ludwig

Panawan Vanaphuti

Jiahui Hou

Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Al (Aluminum) and Mn (manganese) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of desirable materials such as cobalt, nickel, aluminum and manganese dissolved as compounds from the exhausted cathode material of spent cells. Depending on a desired proportion, or ratio, of the desired materials, raw materials are added to the solution to achieve the desired ratio of the commingled compounds for the recycled cathode material for new cells. The desired materials precipitate out of solution without extensive heating or separation of the desired materials into individual compounds or elements. The resulting active cathode material has the predetermined ratio for use in new cells, and avoids high heat typically required to separate the useful elements because the desired materials remain commingled in solution.

Method and apparatus for recycling lithium-ion batteries

Lithium recycling from expended Li-Ion batteries occurs thought selective recovery of lithium charge materials from a recycling stream including transition metals used for the charge material. Li recovery includes dissolving the lithium based charge material in an organic acid having a resistance or lack of affinity to dissolution of transition metals, and distilling a leach solution formed from the dissolved charge material for generating a powder including lithium and trace impurities of the transition metals. Sintering of the generated powder forms lithium carbonate and carbonates of the trace impurities that eluded the selective leach, however, since the trace impurities are insoluble in water, the lithium carbonate is recoverable by water washing.

Lithium recovery process

Charge material for recycled lithium-ion batteries

A recycling and synthesis of charge material for secondary batteries generates single-crystal charge materials for producing batteries with greater charge cycle longevity. Charge material particles undergo a heating for fusing or enhancing grain boundaries between polycrystalline particles. The resulting, more well-defined grain boundaries are easily etched by a relatively weak mineral acid solution. The acid solution removes material at the grain boundaries to separate secondary particles into primary particles along the grain boundaries. The resulting single crystal (monocrystalline) charge material particles are washed and filtered, and typically re-sintered to accommodate any needed lithium (lithium carbonate), and result in a charge material with larger surface area, higher lithium diffusivity and lower cation ordering.

Facile etching for single crystal cathode materials

Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Al (Aluminum) and Mn (manganese) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of valuable charge materials such as cobalt, nickel, aluminum and manganese dissolved as compounds from the exhausted cathode material of spent cells. However, LiFePOis a waste stream charge material often discarded due to infeasibility of recycling. LiFePO4 is precipitated as FePO4 and remains as a by-product, along with graphite and carbon, which are not dissolved into the solution. FePOcan be separated from graphite and carbon, FePOcan be used to synthesize LiFePOas cathode materials and graphite can be regenerated as anode materials.

Method and apparatus for recycling lithium iron phosphate batteries

A dry electrode manufacturing process employed for low cost battery through a dry mixing and formation process. A thermal activation renders the dry fabricated electrode comparable to conventional slurry casted electrodes. The dry electrode mixture results from a combination of a plurality of types of constituent particles, including at least an active charge material and a binder, and typically a conductive material such as carbon. The process heats the deposited mixture to a moderate temperature for activating the binder for adhering the mixture to the substrate; and compresses the deposited mixture to a thickness for achieving an electrical sufficiency of the compressed, deposited mixture as a charge material in a battery.

Dry powder based electrode additive manufacturing

Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Mn (manganese), Li (lithium), and Fe (iron) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of desirable materials such as cobalt, nickel and manganese dissolved as compounds from the exhausted cathode material of spent cells. Depending on a desired proportion, or ratio, of the desired materials, raw materials are added to the solution to achieve the desired ratio of the commingled compounds for the recycled cathode material for new cells. The desired materials precipitate out of solution without extensive heating or separation of the desired materials into individual compounds or elements. The resulting active cathode material has the predetermined ratio for use in new cells, and avoids high heat typically required to separate the useful elements because the desired materials remain commingled in solution.

A flow battery employs a solid suspension charge material to maintain high charge density via stability of a suspension including a binder, conductive carbon and an electrolyte. A cathodic suspension employs carbon powder as a stabilizing agent in a suspension form to avoid precipitation of solids and maintain a high surface area of the suspended solids. The stabilizing agent undergoes agitation and milling to reduce a particle size and increase the change density due to the conductive nature of the fine powdered stabilizing agent exhibiting high energy density. The resulting suspensions are circulated in a charge cell connected to a load for providing electrical power.

Growing community of inventors

Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Yan Wang