Selective Copper Extraction from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to the investigation of selective copper extraction from the black mass of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using ammonium sulfate. Thermodynamic analysis performed with the use of Pourbaix diagrams allowed to compare and predict the area of stable copper and cobalt ammine complexes, determine operating pH range (8.7-9.7) for solutions. Concentrations of sodium hydroxide and ammonium sulfate were defined experimentally allowing to achieve high copper extraction (82-87 %) at low cobalt recovery into solutions (0.25-0.52 %). By variation of main leaching parameters optimal process conditions were determined: (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 45 g/dm 3 , NaOH 9 g/dm 3 , 25 С, l : s = 5 : 1, 120 minutes.