• 标题：Lithium and Cobalt Recovery from LiCoO2 Using Oxalate Chemistry: Scale-Up and Techno-Economic Analysis
• 关键词：
• 作者：Ankit Verma;Alexander J. Henne;David R. Corbin;Mark B. Shiflett

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Currently, approximately 59% of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) contain a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cathode. Both lithium (Li) and cobalt (Co) are critical metals, and the efficient recycling of LiCoO2 cathodes through an environmentally benign process is essential for a stable Li and Co economy. In this work, a closed-loop recycling process utilizing oxalic acid (H2C2O4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was scaled-up to operate at a solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratio of 38 g/L. The H2C2O4 process was operated at 100 °C with Li2CO3 and Co(OH)2 as the final products, whereas in the presence of H2O2, the metal extraction was operated at 75 °C. After the metal recovery, the H2C2O4 was efficiently recycled using an ion exchange process. A techno-economic analysis was performed to compare the oxalate process with the H2SO4 process operating at 65 °C and S/L = 100 g/L. The H2C2O4 and H2C2O4 + H2O2 processes with 90% recycling of oxalate are equal in cost with the H2SO4 process on a per kilogram LiCoO2 production basis. An important difference is that the H2C2O4 + H2O2 process produces 50% less waste than the H2SO4 + H2O2 process. The H2C2O4 and H2C2O4 + H2O2 processes provide the opportunity to recycle oxalate in order to create a closed-loop, economical, and environmentally friendly process for recovering critical metals such as Li and Co from LiCoO2. The oxalate process offers similar advantages for recycling other valuable metals from ore processing and waste streams.