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Li X, Benstead M, Peeters N, Binnemans K. Recycling of metals from LiFePO 4 battery cathode material by using ionic liquid based-aqueous biphasic systems. RSC Adv 2024; 14:9262-9272. [PMID: 38505392 PMCID: PMC10949915 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00655k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries are essential for electric vehicles and energy storage devices. With the increasing demand for their production and the concomitant surge in waste generation, the need for an efficient and environmentally friendly recycling process has become imperative. This work presents a new approach for recycling of metals from the LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode material. The cathode material was first leached by a HCl solution without an oxidizing agent. Subsequently, an ionic-liquid-based aqueous biphasic system (IL-based ABS) was used for the separation of lithium and iron from leachate solutions, followed by a precipitation process. The influence of the acid concentration, solid-to-liquid ratio and leaching time on the leaching yield was investigated. UV-vis absorption spectra revealed the presence of mixed-valent iron in the leachate, with 83 ± 1% Fe(ii) and 17 ± 1% Fe(iii). The ABS systems comprised tributyltetradecylphosphonium chloride [P44414]Cl and a salting-out agent (HCl or NaCl). The extraction percentage of iron reached 90% and less than 1% of lithium was extracted under the studied optimal conditions. Further enhancement of iron extraction, reaching 98%, was achieved via a two-stage cross-current extraction process. Iron was precipitated from the loaded IL phase with an efficiency of 97% as Fe(OH)2 and Fe(OH)3, using an aqueous ammonia solution. Lithium was precipitated as Li3PO4 with a lithium purity of 99.5% by adding K3PO4 solution. The ionic liquid used in the process was efficiently regenerated and used in four extraction cycles with no activity decline, with an extraction percentage of 90% of iron in each cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Li
- KU Leuven, Department of Chemistry Celestijnenlaan 200F, P. O. Box 2404 B-3001 Leuven Belgium
| | - Maia Benstead
- Durham University, Department of Chemistry Durham DH1 3LE UK
| | - Nand Peeters
- KU Leuven, Department of Chemistry Celestijnenlaan 200F, P. O. Box 2404 B-3001 Leuven Belgium
| | - Koen Binnemans
- KU Leuven, Department of Chemistry Celestijnenlaan 200F, P. O. Box 2404 B-3001 Leuven Belgium
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Sinoimeri E, Pescheux AC, Guillotte I, Cognard J, Svecova L, Billard I. Fate of metal ions in PEG-400/Na2SO4/H2O aqueous biphasic system: from eviction to extraction towards the upper polymer-rich phase. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Factors driving metal partition in ionic liquid-based acidic aqueous biphasic systems. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Meyer G, Schweins R, Youngs T, Dufrêche JF, Billard I, Plazanet M. How Temperature Rise Can Induce Phase Separation in Aqueous Biphasic Solutions. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:2731-2736. [PMID: 35312328 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ionic-liquid-based acidic aqueous biphasic solutions (AcABSs) recently offered a breakthrough in the field of metal recycling. The particular mixture of tributyltetradecylphosphonium chloride ([P4,4,4,14]Cl), acid, and water presents the unusual characteristic of a lower solution critical temperature (LCST), leading to phase separation upon a temperature rise of typically a few tens of degrees. We address here the microscopic mechanisms driving the phase separation. Using small-angle neutron scattering, we characterized the spherical micelle formation in a binary ionic liquid/water solution and the micelle aggregation upon the addition of acid due to the screening of electrostatic repulsion. The increase in both the acid concentration and the temperature eventually leads to micelle flocculation and phase separation. This last step is achieved through chloride ion adsorption at the surface of the micelle. This exothermic adsorption compensates for the entropic cost, leading to a counterintuitive behavior, and may be generalized to a number of molecular systems with an LCST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautier Meyer
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Tristan Youngs
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-François Dufrêche
- Institut de Chimie Séparative de Marcoule. UMR 5257 CEA/CNRS/ENSCM/Université Montpellier, Site de Marcoule, Bâtiment 426 BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze Cedex, France
| | - Isabelle Billard
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LEPMI, 1130 rue de la Piscine, 38402 Saint Martin d'Héres, France
| | - Marie Plazanet
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France
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Schaeffer N, Vargas SJR, Passos H, Brandão P, Nogueira HIS, Svecova L, Coutinho JAP. A HNO 3 -Responsive Aqueous Biphasic System for Metal Separation: Application towards Ce IV Recovery. CHEMSUSCHEM 2021; 14:3018-3026. [PMID: 34087058 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202101149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
An acidic aqueous biphasic system (AcABS) presenting a desired and reversible phase transition with HNO3 concentration and temperature was developed herein as an integrated platform for metal separation. The simple, economical, and fully incinerable (C,H,O,N) AcABS composed of tetrabutylammonium nitrate ([N4444 ][NO3 ])+HNO3 +H2 O was characterized and presented an excellent selectivity towards CeIV against other rare earth elements and transition metals from both synthetic solutions and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery leachates. The acid-driven self-assembly of AcABS bridges the gap between traditional ABS and liquid-liquid extraction whilst retaining their advantageous qualities, including compatibility with highly acidic solutions, water as the primary system component, the avoidance of organic diluents, rapid mass transfer, and the potential integration of the leaching and separation steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Schaeffer
- CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Silvia J R Vargas
- CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Helena Passos
- CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Paula Brandão
- CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Helena I S Nogueira
- CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Lenka Svecova
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LEPMI, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - João A P Coutinho
- CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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Sinoimeri E, Maia Fernandes V, Cognard J, Pereira JFB, Svecova L, Guillotte I, Billard I. Uncommon biphasic behaviour induced by very high metal ion concentrations in HCl/H 2O/[P 44414]Cl and HCl/H 2O/PEG-600 systems. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:23226-23236. [PMID: 33030179 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp03689g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this work, the important role played by metal ions such as Fe(ii/iii), Cr(iii) and Ni(ii) in the formation and binodal behaviour of aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) composed of HCl and the ionic liquid, [P44414]Cl, or the polymer, PEG-600, is investigated. The concentration of metal ions used in this work exceeds several g L-1 for an industrial foreseen application. Experiments have also been carried out by varying the concentration of metal ions at different temperatures. Fe exhibits a totally different behaviour compared to Ni and Cr. In particular, the binodal curves in the presence of the ionic liquid are far from the classical curves found in the literature, displaying an onion-shape form, while for Ni and Cr, the curves follow the classical trend. When any of the three metal ions is mixed with the polymer and HCl medium, only Fe(iii) induces a biphasic system. Insights into the chemical driving forces at work are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eris Sinoimeri
- Aperam Research Center, Rue Roger Salengro, 62330, Isbergues, France
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Khazalpour S, Yarie M, Kianpour E, Amani A, Asadabadi S, Seyf JY, Rezaeivala M, Azizian S, Zolfigol MA. Applications of phosphonium-based ionic liquids in chemical processes. JOURNAL OF THE IRANIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13738-020-01901-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Schaeffer N, Pérez-Sánchez G, Passos H, Gomes JRB, Papaiconomou N, Coutinho JAP. Mechanisms of phase separation in temperature-responsive acidic aqueous biphasic systems. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:7462-7473. [DOI: 10.1039/c8cp07750a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The thermal and acid responsive behaviour of bulky phosphonium-based ILs is elucidated using a mixed experimental and computational approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Schaeffer
- CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Aveiro
- 3810-193 Aveiro
- Portugal
| | - German Pérez-Sánchez
- CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Aveiro
- 3810-193 Aveiro
- Portugal
| | - Helena Passos
- CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Aveiro
- 3810-193 Aveiro
- Portugal
| | - José R. B. Gomes
- CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Aveiro
- 3810-193 Aveiro
- Portugal
| | | | - João A. P. Coutinho
- CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Aveiro
- 3810-193 Aveiro
- Portugal
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