POS4-1510
In-drop metal leaching from cathodes for continuous recycling of spent batteries
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Jinkee HONG
Ki Su KIM
Presenter(s)
yewon Kim (Chungnam National University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Spent battery cathode is an excellent source for obtaining precious metals such as lithium (Li) and cobalt (Co) which can mitigate the reliance of mining processes from the environment. To meet the demands for Li and Co as a result of the recent rise in the use of lithium-ion batteries, efficient recycling of metals from spent battery cathodes has become a key issue. However, current recycling methods involve harsh conditions such as high temperature (i.e. pyrometallurgy), toxic chemicals (i.e. hydrometallurgy), or both. Herein, we develop an environmentally friendly droplet-based metal leaching method in deep eutectic solvent (DES) from lithium nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide (NCM). DESs are environmentally benign eutectic solvents composed of a hydrogen bond donor and a hydrogen bond acceptor. Metals are leached from NCM particles contained in DES droplets, which are suspended in a continuous oil flow, immersed in a heated bath of 60 °C. The high surface area-to-volume ratio of DES droplets enable fast heat transfer from the heated bath, leading to a leaching efficiency of 79.9 ± 3.0% for Co and 75.0 ± 2.7% for Li with 1 hour treatment. For comparison, the efficiencies obtained using batch leaching at the same condition is 48.5% for Li and 38.7% for Co. This study demonstrates the feasibility of an environmentally friendly continuous metal extraction process by integrating DESs with slurry Taylor flow. Further optimization of process parameters, including DES composition, extraction temperature, and flow conditions, is expected to achieve even higher metal recovery and process efficiency.
