Leaching of Critical Metals from Spent Lithium-Ion Battery Using Acidic Organophosphorus Extractant

RecyclingRecycling of cathode material of spent lithiumLithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is important for recovering critical metals and protecting the environment. This study thus proposes a sustainableSustainable recyclingRecycling process for cathode material (nickelNickel-cobaltCobalt-manganese/NCM chemistry)NCM chemistry via leaching with an acidic organophosphorus extractant, di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid/D2EHPAD2EHPA and copper (current collector) as the reducing agent. The effects of leaching parameters, including stirring speed, Cu amount, D2EHPAD2EHPA concentration, temperature, and time were investigated. The leached metals on the loaded D2EHPAD2EHPA were recovered via stripping using pH-controlled aqueous solutions. Using D2EHPAD2EHPA for leaching allows process intensification because it integrates leaching and solvent extractionSolvent extraction (SX) in one-stage operation. It also reduces the consumption of aqueous solutions, thereby minimizing wastewater generation.