Production of LiOH from Li2CO3 extracted from recycled Li-ion cells

Sammanfattning

The need for lithium hydroxide (LiOH) is increasing with the production of lithium-ion cells. The conversion of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) to LiOH is an important step to recycle Li-ion cells. The foundation for this project was an EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) dust that had been collected from pyrometallurgical recycling of lithium-ion batteries. Using precipitation with slaked lime (Ca(OH)2), Lithium hydroxide could be refined from the EAF dust. The precipitation process showed a good separation of lithium (Li) from other metals like cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg) and copper (Cu). At the cost of reduced recovery, the final lithium hydroxide concentration could be enhanced by increasing the initial addition of EAF dust. The purity of the final products however needs to be improved to reach the standard for battery production. Overall, the process is promising but needs more testing.