MUMBAI, India, Sept. 14 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202617064385 A) filed by Elion Sp. Z O. O. on May 21, 2026, for A Method For Recovering Nickel And Cobalt From A Mixture Of Compounds Of These Metals From Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries.
Inventors include Staron, Pawel; Bradlo, Dariusz; Wojciechowski, Szymon; Labaj, Igor; and Pieta, Katarzyna.
The application for the patent was published on September 11, 2026, under issue no. 37/2026.
Abstract: The invention relates to a method for recovering nickel and cobalt from a mixture of compounds of these metals from the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries, comprising the following steps: a) digestion of a mixture of nickel and cobalt compounds in a solution containing hydrochloric acid having a concentration of more than 25 mass %, in case the mixture of nickel and cobalt compounds is solid; or bringing the mixture of nickel and cobalt compounds to a hydrochloric acid concentration of more than 25 mass %, in case the mixture of nickel and cobalt compounds is a solution; b) activation of ion-exchange resin in a column using hydrochloric acid; c) passing the solution from step a) through the column filled with the ion-exchange resin activated in step b); d) washing the column with hydrochloric acid having a concentration of more than 25 mass % in order to wash out the remaining solution containing nickel ions; e) washing the column with hydrochloric acid having a concentration of less than 10 mass % in order to wash out cobalt ions; f) extraction distillation of the nickel ion solution obtained in step d) in hydrochloric acid using sulfuric(VI) acid; phase separation in a spent liquid; recycling of a filtrate to distillation; dissolution of nickel sulfate(VI) and electrolysis in order to recover metallic nickel; g) extraction distillation of the cobalt ion solution obtained in step e) in hydrochloric acid using sulfuric(VI) acid; phase separation in a spent liquid; recycling of a filtrate to distillation; dissolution of cobalt sulfate(VI) and electrolysis in order to recover metallic cobalt; h) extraction distillation of the solution of diluted hydrochloric acid with nickel and cobalt ions obtained after the activation of the ion-exchange resin in step b), using sulfuric(VI) acid; phase separation in a spent liquid; recycling of a filtrate to distillation; recycling of a mixture of the formed cobalt sulfate(VI) and nickel sulfate(VI) to digestion in step a); i) rectification of diluted hydrochloric acid having a concentration below the azeotropic concentration (approx. 20.2 mass % at atmospheric pressure) formed in extraction distillation processes in steps f)-h) in order to concentrate hydrochloric acid and recover and recycle of water; recycling of concentrated hydrochloric acid to extraction distillation in steps f)- h).
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
