Hydrometallurgical Flowsheets Considered for the Treatment of Black Mass—Perspective of a Commercial Metallurgical Laboratory
摘要
Hydrometallurgical treatment of black massBlack mass (produced from recyclingRecycling lithiumLithium-ion batteriesBattery) has generated significant attention in recent years as a critical step in the circular economy of batteryBattery metalsMetals. Many hydrometallurgical flowsheetFlowsheet configurations exist and are reported by recyclingRecycling companies. Typically, flowsheetsFlowsheet can be characterized by (a) complete metal separationMetal separation via solvent extractionSolvent Extraction (SX), electrowinning and/or crystallizationCrystallization operations and (b) productionProductions of a mixed hydroxide or batteryBattery precursor material. This paper will provide an updated review of some of the flowsheetsFlowsheet considered by current companies, evaluate current challenges faced in the implementation of these processes and provide insight into how to derisk such processes from the perspective of a commercial metallurgical testingTesting laboratory.