Method for recovering and recycling electrolyte salts from lithium batteries

    公开(公告)号:US11777156B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-10-03

    申请号:US17149859

    申请日:2021-01-15

    发明人: Albert L. Lipson

    摘要: 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.

    Process for preparing doped lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide

    公开(公告)号:US11377364B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-07-05

    申请号:US16727191

    申请日:2019-12-26

    摘要: A process for preparing doped-lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (doped-LLZO) is described herein. The method involves dry doping of a co-precipitated lanthanum zirconium oxide (LZO) precursor. Dry doping is a process in which a dry powdered dopant is ground and mixed with a pre-prepared co-precipitated LZO precursor and a lithium salt to provide a LLZO precursor composition, which is subsequently calcined to form a doped-LLZO. The process described herein comprises calcining a dry, powdered (e.g., micron, sub-micron or nano-powdered) mixture of a co-precipitated LZO precursor, a dopant salt or oxide, and a lithium salt under an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of about 500 to about 1100° C., and recovering the doped-LLZO after calcining.