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Solvent extraction and separation of cobalt from leachate of spent lithium-ion battery cathodes with N263 in nitrite media

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Abstract

To effectively separate and recover Co(II) from the leachate of spent lithium-ion battery cathodes, we investigated solvent extraction with quaternary ammonium salt N263 in the sodium nitrite system. NO −2 combines with Co(II) to form an anion [Co(NO2)3]−, and it is then extracted by N263. The extraction of Co(II) is related to the concentration of NO −2 . The extraction efficiency of Co(II) reaches the maximum of 99.16%, while the extraction efficiencies of Ni(II), Mn(II), and Li(I) are 9.27%–9.80% under the following conditions: 30vol% of N263 and 15vol% of iso-propyl alcohol in sulfonated kerosene, the volume ratio of the aqueous-to-organic phase is 2:1, the extraction time is 30 min, and 1 M sodium nitrite in 0.1 M HNO3. The theoretical stages require for the Co(II) extraction are performed in the McCabe—Thiele diagram, and the extraction efficiency of Co(II) reaches more than 99.00% after three-stage counter-current extraction with Co(II) concentration of 2544 mg/L. When the HCl concentration is 1.5 M, the volume ratio of the aqueous-to-organic phase is 1:1, the back-extraction efficiency of Co(II) achieves 91.41%. After five extraction and back-extraction cycles, the Co(II) extraction efficiency can still reach 93.89%. The Co(II) extraction efficiency in the actual leaching solution reaches 100%.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51804084), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province, China (No. 2021GXNSFAA220096), and the Science and Technology Major Project of Guangxi Province, China (No. AA172 04100).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China

    Yingnan Yang, Yingjie Yang, Chunlin He, Toyohisa Fujita, Guifang Wang, Shaojian Ma & Wenchao Yang

  2. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, Nanning, 530004, China

    Yingnan Yang, Yingjie Yang, Chunlin He, Toyohisa Fujita, Guifang Wang, Shaojian Ma & Wenchao Yang

  3. Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Key Laboratory of New Low-carbon Green Chemical Technology, Nanning, 530004, China

    Chunlin He

  4. School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421000, China

    Yuezhou Wei

  5. School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Yuezhou Wei

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  1. Yingnan Yang
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Correspondence to Chunlin He.

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12613_2022_2571_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Solvent extraction and separation of cobalt from leachate of spent lithium-ion battery cathodes with N263 in nitrite media

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Yang, Y., Yang, Y., He, C. et al. Solvent extraction and separation of cobalt from leachate of spent lithium-ion battery cathodes with N263 in nitrite media. Int J Miner Metall Mater 30, 897–907 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-022-2571-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-022-2571-8

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