Method for recovering and recycling electrolyte salts from lithium batteries

Patent · Tue Oct 03 04:00:00 EDT 2023

OSTI ID:2293680

Lipson, Albert L.

A method for recovering a lithium electrolyte salt from spent batteries comprises first extracting electrolyte from shredded batteries (e.g., spent batteries at the end of their useful lifetime) with an organic carbonate solvent; concentrating the extracted electrolyte in vacuo to form a solid lithium electrolyte salt that is solvated with the organic carbonate; and then extracting solvent from the solvated, solid lithium electrolyte salt with supercritical CO₂ to purify the lithium electrolyte salt sufficiently for reuse in lithium batteries. In the first extraction, the organic carbonate solvent is selected based on the solubility of the lithium electrolyte salt in the solvent, as well as the volatility of the solvent to facilitate the concentration process. The supercritical CO₂ is preferably held at a pressure in the range of about 1,500 to about 30,000 psi and is passed through a bed or column of the solvated salt.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• Assignee: UChicago Argonne, LLC (Chicago, IL)
• Patent Number(s): 11,777,156
• Application Number: 17/149,859
• OSTI ID: 2293680
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English