Preparation of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode materials from spent Li-ion batteries

A recycling process including separation of electrode materials by ultrasonic treatment, acid leaching, Fe-removing, precipitation of cobalt, nickel, manganese and lithium has been applied successfully to recycle spent lithium-ion batteries and to synthesize LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2. When ultrasonic treatment with 2-nitroso-4-methylphenol（NMP） at 40 ℃ for 15 min, the electrode materials are separated completely. Above 99% of Co, Ni, Mn and Li, 95% of Fe in the separated electrodes are acid-leached in the optimized conditions of 2 mol/L H2SO4, 1：2 H2O2：H2SO4 （molar ratio）, 70 ℃, 1：10 initial S：L ratio, and l h. 99.5% of Fe and less than 1% of Co, Ni, Mn in the leaching solution can be removed in the conditions of initial pH value 2.0-2.5 adjusted by adding 18% Na2CO3, 90 ℃ and stirring time 3 h. After adjusted to be equal by adding NiSO4, COSO4 and MnSO4 solution, 97.1% of Ni, Co, Mn in the Fe-removing surplus leaching solution can be recovered as Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3（OH）2. 94.5% of Li in the surplus filtrate after the deposition of Co, Ni and Mn can be recovered as LiECO3. The LiNi1/3Co1/3Mnl/3O2, prepared from the recovered compounds, is found to have good characteristics of the layered structure and elecrtochemical performance.

Preparation of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode materials from spent Li-ion batteries