Optimization of hydrometallurgical recovery of lithium, aluminum, iron, and copper from lithium-iron batteries

As lithium-iron batteries play a crucial role in the growth of electric vehicles, their disposal is projected to increase, posing significant environmental and health risks. Recovering the metals that compose these batteries can help mitigate the negative environmental impacts of mining and address raw material shortages. This research employs hydrometallurgy to recover lithium, aluminum, iron, and copper from the electrode mixture of spent lithium-iron batteries. The average metal content found for lithium, aluminum, iron, and copper was approximately 5%, 2%, 18%, and 16%, respectively. Under optimal leaching conditions, the recovery rates for lithium and aluminum reached 100% and 95%, respectively. These metals can be further separated by pH adjustment to produce lithium and aluminum products. The remaining iron and copper in the leaching residue can also be recovered through additional leaching, replacement, and pH adjustment processes to obtain products containing iron and copper.