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)-MnO<sub>2</sub>. The process allowed the recycling of steel scraps from external cases after cryomechanical dismantl...

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Main Authors: Francesca Pagnanelli, Pier Giorgio Schiavi, Pietro Altimari, Francesca Beolchini, Alessia Amato, Jacopo Coletta, Flavia Forte, Emanuela Moscardini, Luigi Toro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-03-01
Series:Metals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/3/497
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author Francesca Pagnanelli
Pier Giorgio Schiavi
Pietro Altimari
Francesca Beolchini
Alessia Amato
Jacopo Coletta
Flavia Forte
Emanuela Moscardini
Luigi Toro
author_facet Francesca Pagnanelli
Pier Giorgio Schiavi
Pietro Altimari
Francesca Beolchini
Alessia Amato
Jacopo Coletta
Flavia Forte
Emanuela Moscardini
Luigi Toro
author_sort Francesca Pagnanelli
collection DOAJ
description 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)-MnO<sub>2</sub>. 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 Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>. 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.
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spelling doaj.art-256a7bdca863436b95454ef38c17eaaf2023-11-17T12:38:35ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012023-03-0113349710.3390/met13030497Economic and Environmental Sustainability of an Innovative Cryo-Mechano-Hydrometallurgical Process Validated at Pilot Scale for the Recycling of Li BatteriesFrancesca Pagnanelli0Pier Giorgio Schiavi1Pietro Altimari2Francesca Beolchini3Alessia Amato4Jacopo Coletta5Flavia Forte6Emanuela Moscardini7Luigi Toro8Department of Chemistry, La Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, La Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, La Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Piazza Roma 22, 60121 Ancona, ItalyDepartment of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Piazza Roma 22, 60121 Ancona, ItalyEco Recycling Srl, Viale Palmiro Togliatti 1639, 00155 Rome, ItalyEco Recycling Srl, Viale Palmiro Togliatti 1639, 00155 Rome, ItalyEco Recycling Srl, Viale Palmiro Togliatti 1639, 00155 Rome, ItalyEco Recycling Srl, Viale Palmiro Togliatti 1639, 00155 Rome, ItalyAn innovative cryo-mechano-hydrometallurgical process (named LIBAT) was demonstrated at pilot scale for the treatment of EOL lithium primary batteries with chemistry Li(0)-MnO<sub>2</sub>. 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 Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>. 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/3/497Li primary batteriesrecyclinghydrometallurgylife cycle analysisprocess analysis
spellingShingle Francesca Pagnanelli
Pier Giorgio Schiavi
Pietro Altimari
Francesca Beolchini
Alessia Amato
Jacopo Coletta
Flavia Forte
Emanuela Moscardini
Luigi Toro
Economic and Environmental Sustainability of an Innovative Cryo-Mechano-Hydrometallurgical Process Validated at Pilot Scale for the Recycling of Li Batteries
Metals
Li primary batteries
recycling
hydrometallurgy
life cycle analysis
process analysis
title Economic and Environmental Sustainability of an Innovative Cryo-Mechano-Hydrometallurgical Process Validated at Pilot Scale for the Recycling of Li Batteries
title_full Economic and Environmental Sustainability of an Innovative Cryo-Mechano-Hydrometallurgical Process Validated at Pilot Scale for the Recycling of Li Batteries
title_fullStr Economic and Environmental Sustainability of an Innovative Cryo-Mechano-Hydrometallurgical Process Validated at Pilot Scale for the Recycling of Li Batteries
title_full_unstemmed Economic and Environmental Sustainability of an Innovative Cryo-Mechano-Hydrometallurgical Process Validated at Pilot Scale for the Recycling of Li Batteries
title_short Economic and Environmental Sustainability of an Innovative Cryo-Mechano-Hydrometallurgical Process Validated at Pilot Scale for the Recycling of Li Batteries
title_sort economic and environmental sustainability of an innovative cryo mechano hydrometallurgical process validated at pilot scale for the recycling of li batteries
topic Li primary batteries
recycling
hydrometallurgy
life cycle analysis
process analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/3/497
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