Resources Recycling (자원리싸이클링)

The Korean Institute of Resources Recycling (한국자원리싸이클링학회)
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Selective Recovery of Lithium from the Spent LFP Cathode Materials by Mechanochemical Method

기계화학적 방법을 이용한 폐LFP배터리 양극재분말로부터 선택적 리튬 회수 연구

  • Boram Kim (Advanced Materials and Processing Center, Institute for Advanced Engineering (IAE)) ;
  • Hee-Seon Kim (Advanced Materials and Processing Center, Institute for Advanced Engineering (IAE)) ;
  • Dae-Weon Kim (Advanced Materials and Processing Center, Institute for Advanced Engineering (IAE))
  • 김보람 (고등기술연구원 신소재공정센터) ;
  • 김희선 (고등기술연구원 신소재공정센터) ;
  • 김대원 (고등기술연구원 신소재공정센터)
  • Received : 2023.07.27
  • Accepted : 2023.08.24
  • Published : 2023.08.31
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Abstract

Globally, there is a rapid increase in the demand for electric vehicles due to the support for the widespread adoption of electric cars through greenhouse gas regulations in response to climate change. This has resulted in an increase in battery production, which in turn leads to future concerns regarding the disposal of used batteries. In this study, lithium was recoverd preferentially from the cathode material of discarded LFP(LiFePO4) batteries. We conducted the extractions of lithium in 2 ways. One is the conventional leaching method which was reacted with sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) aqueous solution. The other is the mechanochemical method which was milled with sodium persulfate powder, followed by water leaching with distilled water. We compared and analyzed the leaching efficiency and characteristics of the major elements using these two methods. In the conventional leaching method, the solid-liquid ratio was set as a variable, and in the mechanochemical leaching method, the amount of hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) was used as a variable. In both methods used in this study, lithium could be pre-leached from about 90% to 100%, and the selectivity of lithium could be improved by controlling the leaching of iron by adding hydrogen peroxide.

전 세계적으로 기후변화에 따른 온실가스 규제로 전기자동차 보급을 지원하며, 수요가 급증하고 있으며 이는 주요 부품인 배터리의 생산 증대로 추후 폐배터리 발생으로 이어진다. 이에 리튬이온배터리 중 폐LFP(LiFePO4) 배터리의 양극재를 대상으로 리튬을 선택적으로 선 추출하여 회수하고자 과황산계 산화제인 과황산나트륨(Na2S2O8) 수용액을 사용하는 일반 침출 방법과 과황산나트륨을 고상의 분말로 LFP 양극재 분말과 반응시키는 기계화학적(mechanochemical method) 방법으로 각 주요 성분의 침출율 및 특성을 비교 분석하였다. 일반 침출 방법에서는 고액비를 변수로 두고, 기계화학적 침출 방법에서는 과산화수소(H2O2) 투입량을 변수로 하여 진행하였다. 본 연구에서 사용된 두 방법 모두 리튬은 90%에서 약 100%로 선침출 할 수 있었으며, 과산화수소의 첨가로 철의 침출을 제어하여 리튬의 선택성을 향상시킬 수 있었다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 2022년도 산업통상자원부의 재원으로 한국에너지기술평가원의 지원을 받아 수행한 연구 과제입니다(재생자원의 저탄소 산업 원료화 기술개발 사업 No. 20229A10100100).

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