阅读说明：本技术 制备锂电池阴极的前体化合物的方法 (Method for preparing precursor compound of lithium battery cathode ) 是由 哈拉尔德·奥斯特胡夫 简·斯克叶尔 伦纳特·舍尔尼斯 巴尔特·克拉森 威利姆·卡勒波特 于 2020-04-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及用于锂电池阴极的前体化合物的生产。在还原条件下熔炼电池或其废料,从而形成适合进一步湿法冶金精炼的合金和熔渣。在酸性条件下浸提所述合金,产生载Ni和Co溶液,对其进行精炼。精炼步骤被大大简化,因为大多数易受所述精炼步骤干扰的元素集中在所述熔渣中。然后从所述溶液中沉淀出金属如Co、Ni和Mn,形成用于合成新电池前体化合物的合适的起始产物。(The present disclosure relates to the production of precursor compounds for lithium battery cathodes. Smelting the cell or its scrap under reducing conditions to form an alloy and a slag suitable for further hydrometallurgical refining. The alloy is leached under acidic conditions to produce a Ni and Co bearing solution, which is refined. The refining step is greatly simplified because most of the elements susceptible to interference by the refining step are concentrated in the slag. Metals such as Co, Ni and Mn are then precipitated from the solution to form suitable starting products for the synthesis of new battery precursor compounds.)

1. A process for preparing a precursor compound for use in the synthesis of a cathode material for a rechargeable lithium battery, the process comprising the steps of:

-reducing a smelting metallurgical charge comprising spent rechargeable lithium batteries or scrap thereof containing one or both of Cu and Fe, Ni, Co, Al, Li, F, and a fluxing agent, thereby producing an alloy comprising a majority of Ni, Co and Cu, at least a portion of Fe, and being depleted in Al, Li and F;

-leaching the alloy in mineral acid, thereby obtaining a Ni and Co loaded solution further containing one or both of Cu and Fe;

-refining said Ni and Co loaded solution by removing Cu and Fe contained in said Ni and Co loaded solution, thereby obtaining a purified Ni and Co loaded solution;

-simultaneously precipitating Ni and Co from said purified Ni and Co loaded solution as oxides, hydroxides or salts by heat treatment, crystallization or addition of hydroxides or carbonates, thereby obtaining a solid suitable for the synthesis of cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is free of a solvent extraction or ion exchange step in which Ni and/or Co is extracted from the Ni and Co loaded solution.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the alloy is granulated, atomised or crushed prior to the leaching step.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mineral acid is H₂SO₄。

5. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the leaching step is carried out under oxidising conditions.

6. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the leaching step is with O₂Or H₂O₂Under oxidizing conditions as an oxidizing agent.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the removal of Cu in the refining step is performed by precipitation.

8. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the removal of Cu in the refining step is performed by precipitation using cementation with the alloy.

9. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which, in the leaching step, Co is selectively leached relative to Cu by controlling the pH and redox potential during leaching.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the removal of Fe in the refining step results in Fe³⁺Under oxidizing conditions in which the compound precipitates.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the removal of Fe in the refining step results in Fe³⁺Use of precipitation of compounds O₂Or H₂O₂Under oxidizing conditions as an oxidizing agent.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ratio of the elements Ni to Co to Mn in the purified Ni and Co loaded solution is adjusted to a preset value between leaching and precipitation steps by adding any one of these elements as soluble compounds.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the precursor compounds are solid Ni and Co containing products and the solid suitable for use in the synthesis of cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries is the same as the solid Ni and Co containing products.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said Ni and Co-containing product further contains Mn, wherein during simultaneous precipitation of Ni and Co from said purified Ni and Co-laden solution, Mn oxide and/or Mn hydroxide and/or Mn salt is further precipitated by heat treatment, crystallization or addition of a source of hydroxide or carbonate ions, thereby obtaining said Ni and Co-containing product further containing Mn.

15. A method for preparing a Li-containing cathode material for a rechargeable lithium battery, the method comprising the steps of:

step 1: carrying out the method of producing a solid Ni-and Co-containing product according to any one of the preceding claims,

step 2: dissolving the solid Ni and Co-containing product obtained from step 1 in water or an aqueous solution of an inorganic acid,

and step 3: precipitating a precursor of the cathode material from the solution obtained directly or indirectly from step 2, wherein the precursor is a mixed oxide, hydroxide or oxyhydroxide containing Co and Ni,

and 4, step 4: the precursor is fired with a source of Li.