• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.83-91
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• 2024

According to the IEA (2022), global rechargeable battery demand is expected to reach 1.3 TWh in 2040. EV batteries will account for about 80% of this demand, and used EV batteries are expected to be discharged after 30 years. Used EV batteries can be recycled and reused to create new value. They can also resolve one of the most vulnerable parts of the battery supply chain: raw material insecurity. In this study, we analyzed the amount of used batteries generated by EV in Korea and their potential for reuse and recycling. As a result, it was estimated that the annual generation of used batteries for EV began to increase to more than 100,000 in '31 and expanded to 810,000 in '45. In addition, it was found that the market for recycling EV batteries in '45 could be expected to be equivalent to the production of 1 million batteries, and the market for reuse could be expected to be equivalent to the production of 36 Gwh of batteries. On the other hand, according to the plan standard disclosed by the recycling company, domestic used EV batteries can account for 11% of the domestic recycling processing capacity (pre-treatment) ('30). So it will be important to manage the import and export of used batteries in terms of securing raw materials.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2023

The recovery of valuable metals from waste lithium-based secondary batteries is very important in terms of efficiently utilizing earth's limited number of resources. Currently, the cathode material of a LiFePO₄ battery, a type of battery which is widely used in automobiles, contains approximately 5% lithium. After use, the lithium in these batteries can be used again as a raw material for new batteries through lithium recycling. In this study, low-concentration sulfuric acid, a commonly used type of inorganic acid, was used to selectively leach the lithium contained in a waste LiFePO₄ cathode material powder. In addition, in order to compare and analyze the leaching efficiency and separation efficiency of each component, the optimalleaching conditions were derived by applying a two-step leaching process with pulp density being used as a variable during leaching. When leaching with pulp density as a variable, it was confirmed that at a pulp density of 200 g/L, the separation efficiency was approximately 200 times higher than at other pulp densities because the iron and phosphorus components were hardly leached at this pulp density. Accordingly, the pulp density of 200 g/L was used tooptimize the leaching conditions for the selective leaching and recovery of lithium.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.171-176
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• 2023

In the modern society of the 21st century, portable electronic products using secondary batteries are continuously becoming lightweight and miniaturized. And along with this trend, we are active in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where we collect and share information in our daily lives using wearable electronic devices. Therefore, the role of secondary batteries that can be recharged while using small home appliances and digital devices is increasingly important. Along with this increase, secondary battery performance tests require various test methods such as characteristics, lifespan, failure diagnosis, and recycling. In addition, the construction of a battery test system to ensure the safety and proper functioning of the battery, along with guidelines and correct basic knowledge are being considered. Therefore, in this paper, we will examine the characteristics of the secondary battery Li-ion battery according to the charging and discharging scenarios directly connected to the performance of the battery.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2018.06a
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• pp.138-138
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• 2018

선박을 통한 해상수송은 세계 무역의 80% 이상을 차지하고 있으며, 대부분의 선박은 저질중유의 연소로부터 추진력을 발생시키는 디젤 엔진을 원동력으로 사용하고 있다. 이러한 디젤 엔진은 연소의 부산물로 매년 백만 톤 이상의 오염물질을 방출하는데, 그 주성분은 탄소로 이루어져 있고 고온 열분해 또는 압축 점화 엔진의 작동 부산물들이 소량 포함되어 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 선박으로부터 배출된 폐 수트를 리튬이온전지용 도전재로 활용하기 위한 독특한 방법이 제안되었다. 실험에 사용된 폐 수트는 운항중인 컨테이너선으로부터 수집되었으며, 수집된 폐 수트는 탄소 성분 이외의 불순물을 제거하고 흑연화 정도를 개선시키기 위해 $2,000^{\circ}C$로 열처리되었다. 열처리된 폐 수트의 모폴로지를 확인하기 위해 투과전자현미경을 이용하여 그 형상을 관찰하였으며, 이를 통해 폐 수트의 일차 입자는 지름이 약 70-100 nm 정도인 양파껍질 모양의 탄소(carbon nano-onion)로 형성된다는 것이 확인되었다. 또한, XRD, RAMAN 분광법 및 BET 분석 결과를 통해, 열처리된 폐 수트가 결정성이 있는 흑연으로 재형성되었으며 비표면적은 일반적으로 사용되는 활물질에 비해 약간 더 높다는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 한편, 이러한 특성은 리튬이온전지용 도전재로 활용될 수 있는 가능성을 보여주었고, 이는 전기화학적 정전류 충전 및 방전 테스트를 통해 그 성능이 확인되었다. 일반적으로 사용되는 도전재의 테스트 결과와 폐 수트를 도전재로 사용한 테스트 결과를 Fig. 1에 나타내었다. 이상의 실험 결과들을 미루어 볼 때, 선박으로부터 배출된 폐 수트가 리튬전지용 음극 활물질 및 도전재로 재활용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• Clean Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.116-121
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• 2020

In this paper, the recycling of waste Ni-MH battery by-products for electric vehicle is studied. Although rare earths elements still exist in waste Ni-MH battery by-products, they are not valuable as materials in the form of by-products (such as an insoluble substance). This study investigates the recovering of rare earth oxide for solvent extraction A/O ratio, substitution reaction, and reaction temperature, and scrubbing of the rare earth elements for high purity separation. The by-product (in the form of rare earth elements insoluble powder) is converted into hydroxide form using 30% sodium hydroxide solution. The remaining impurities are purified using the difference in solubility of oxalic acid. Subsequently, Yttrium is isolated by means of D2EHPA (Di-[2-ethylhexyl] phosphoric acid). After cerium is separated using potassium permanganate, lanthanum and neodymium are separated using PC88A (2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester) and it is calcinated at a temperature of 800 ℃. As a result of the physical and chemical measurement of the calcined lanthanum and neodymium powder, it is confirmed that the powder is a microsized porous powder in an oxide form of 99.9% or more. Rare earth oxides are recovered from Ni-MH battery by-products through two solvent extraction processes and one oxidation process. This study has regenerated lanthanum and neodymium oxide as a useful material.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.59-66
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• 2022

Lithium-ion batteries have greatly expanded along with the mobile phone market, and as the electric vehicle business is activated in earnest, they will attract many people's attention even afterwards. Until now, many people have attracted attention to the recovery of valuable metals inside lithium-ion batteries, but graphite, which is mainly used as an anode material, is also worth recycling. Therefore, in order to recover graphite with high purity and valuable metals, graphite that can be used as an anode material of a secondary battery may be generated again through a regeneration process of purifying and separating graphite from a waste lithium-ion battery and recovering electrical characteristics of graphite. This paper describes the process of converting waste graphite into regenerated graphite and the environmental and economic effects of regenerated graphite.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.187.2-187.2
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• 2011

태양광산업의 value chain중 up-stream쪽인 고순도 실리콘산업은 셀, 모듈, 시스템 쪽에 비하여 영업 이익률이나 부가가치 측면에서 매우 높은 성장성을 현재 보여주고 있으며 최근 원자력산업의 안전성 문제가 대두됨으로 인하여 태양광수요가 전 세계적으로 증대되는 경향을 나타내어 태양광용 실리콘의 수요가 확대됨과 아울러 spot시장에서의 가격 또한 상승하고 있다. 이런 관점에서 잉곳 및 웨이퍼 가공 중에 발생하는 고순도 실리콘 폐기물의 재활용 이 다시 주목받고 있다. 태양전지 웨이퍼(wafer)용 소재는 6N급 이상의 결정질 실리콘 잉곳(ingot)이 주를 이루며, 고효율의 셀을 제조하기 위해서 단결정 실리콘 잉곳이 많이 사용된다. 실리콘 단결정을 육성하는 방법에는 Floating zone 법, Czochralski 법, Bridgeman 법, CVD 등 매우 다양하다. 이 중 Czochralski 법은 전체 생산량의 대부분을 차지하고 있는 방법으로, 용융액에서 결정을 인상하여 ingot을 제작하는 방법이다. 그러나 대량의 전기에너지를 소비하여 제작되는 고순도의 실리콘 단결정 잉곳은 후 가공공정에서 그 절반 이상이 분말(powder) 및 슬러지(sludge)로 폐기되므로, 자원의 재활용 및 환경오염 측면에서 주요과제가 되고 있다. Czochralski 법으로 제작된 ingot의 경우 그 표면이 매끄럽지 못하여, 웨이퍼 단위의 가공 시 형태가 진원이 될 수 있도록 표면을 미리 연마(grinding)하는데, 이때에도 미세 분말이 다량 발생하게 된다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 고순도 단결정 실리콘 ingot의 연마 가공공정에서 발생한 미세 분말을 용해하여 보았다. 진공 챔버(chamber) 내부에 유도가열 코일과 냉도가니로 구성된 장비를 통해 전자기유도가열을 이용하여 실리콘 분말 폐기물을 용해하고, 그 시편을 ICP-MS 및 비저항 측정을 통해 분말 의 특성을 조사하여 재활용 가능성을 검토해 보았다.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2000

The recycled single crystal silicon wafers have been fabricated into solar cells. It can be a solution for the high cost in materials for solar cells and recycling of materials. So, p-type (100) single crystal silicon wafers with high resistivity of $10-14\;{\Omega}cm$ and the thickness of $650\;{\mu}m$ were used for the fabrication of solar cells. Optimistic conditions of formation of back surface field, surface texturing and anti-reflection coating were studied for getting high efficiency. In addition, thickness variation of solar cell was also studied for increase of efficiency. As a result, the solar cell with efficiency of 10% with a curve fill factor of 0.53 was fabricated with the wafers which have the area of $4\;cm^2$ and thickness of $300\;{\mu}m$. According to above results, recycling possibility of wasted wafers to single crystal silicon solar cells was confirmed.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.9-16
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• 2015

In a recycling scheme of spent lithium ion batteries, a co-precipitation process for the re-synthesis of precursor is essential after the leaching of lithium ion battery scraps. In this study, the effect of ammonia as impurity during the co-precipitation process was investigated in order to re-synthesize a precursor of Ni-rich cathode active material $LiNi_{0.6}Co_{0.2}Mn_{0.2}O_2$ (NCM 622). As ammonia concentration increases from 1 M (the optimum condition for synthesis of the precursors based on 2 M of metal salt solution) to 4 M, the composition of obtained precursors deviates from the designed composition, most notably for Ni. The Ni co-precipitation efficiency gradually decreases from 100% to 87% when the concentration of ammonia solution increases from 1 M to 4 M. Meanwhile, the morphological properties of the obtained precursors such as sphericity, homogeneity and size distribution of particles were also investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.173-177
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• 2005

리튬이온 2차전지(Lithium ion battery, LIB)는 기존에 사용되던 전지에 비해 에너지 밀도가 높고 충방전 사이클이 우수하다. 이 때문에 휴대전화와 노트북 등에 수요가 급속하게 증가하고 있으며 1995년 LIB의 생산량은 4천만 개에서 2004년에는 약 8억 개로 20배 이상 증가하였다. 이에 따라 폐LIB도 급속하게 증가하게 되어 전국적인 재활용 시스템의 확보가 필요한 실정이다. 본 연구에서는 폐LIB에 함유되어 있는 유가금속 중에서 리튬코발트옥사이드(이하 $LiCoO_2$)를 회수하기 위하여 분쇄기(orient vertical cutting mill)와 진동 Screen을 사용하여 유기분리막, 금속류(Aluminium foil, Copper foil, case 등) 그리고 전극물질(lithium cobalt oxide와 graphite 등의 혼합 분말)로 분리하였다. 전극물질에서 $LiCoO_2$와 graphite 분리를 위한 전처리 단계로서 $500^{\circ}C$ 정도의 열처리를 하여 $LiCoO_2$의 표면 성질을 변화시켜 부유선별에 의해 $LiCoO_2$와 graphite의 분리가 가능하도록 하였다. 부유선별 실험 결과 93% 이상의 순도를 가지는 $LiCoO_2$를 92% 이상 회수할 수 있었다.