LA-ICP-ToF-MS imaging of slags from lithium battery recycling
- The global demand for critical raw materials is increasing drastically as a consequence of the green energy transition and digitalisation. Electromobility in particular requires large amounts of lithium for Li-ion batteries. To guarantee future resources for Li-ion battery production, efficient recycling processes are paramount in securing critical metals. One such recycling process is pyrometallurgical processing, where metals such as Co, Ni, and Cu are concentrated in the alloy melt and Li is mainly partitioned into the slag phase. Partitioning of Li into Li-rich mineral phases within the slag, which subsequently can be separated and further concentrated via hydrometallurgical processes, such as flotation, could enable efficient recovery of Li from recycling products. However, the precipitation of other mineral phases along Li-rich minerals that also scavenge Li from the melt would be a severe constraint. Spinel is a potential phase competing for Li as it appears as primary phaseThe global demand for critical raw materials is increasing drastically as a consequence of the green energy transition and digitalisation. Electromobility in particular requires large amounts of lithium for Li-ion batteries. To guarantee future resources for Li-ion battery production, efficient recycling processes are paramount in securing critical metals. One such recycling process is pyrometallurgical processing, where metals such as Co, Ni, and Cu are concentrated in the alloy melt and Li is mainly partitioned into the slag phase. Partitioning of Li into Li-rich mineral phases within the slag, which subsequently can be separated and further concentrated via hydrometallurgical processes, such as flotation, could enable efficient recovery of Li from recycling products. However, the precipitation of other mineral phases along Li-rich minerals that also scavenge Li from the melt would be a severe constraint. Spinel is a potential phase competing for Li as it appears as primary phase during solidification of the slag melt. Here, we show the influence of spinel crystallization on the distribution of Li in the five-component slag system Li-Mg-Al-Si-Ca. Slags were processed by aerodynamic levitation where pieces of a previously research synthetic Li-rich slag [1] were containerless liquified and subsequently cooled using different protocols. The frozen droplets were embedded in epoxy resin and subsequently analysed by LA-ICP-ToF-MS. All experiments resulted in formation of spinel crystals within the slag phase (Figure 1).
Overall, Li (cf. Fig 1left) and Si are enriched in the groundmass compared to the spinel phase in which Mg (cf. Fig. 1 right) and Al are strongly concentrated. Additionally, in sample P1 spinel crystals show zoning with increasing Li content and decreasing Mg content from core to rim, respectively (Figure 1). In contrast, no zoning is observed for Al in the spinel phase. The elemental maps reveal gradually increasing concentrations of Li, Si, Al, and Mg towards the rim of the slag groundmass of sample P1. Distinct Li-rich silicate phases occur in the vicinity of spinel grains that are similar in composition to the Li- and Si-enriched rim of the slag spherule.
Our work highlights that spinel is the primary solidifying mineral phase in the investigated slag-system and that it scavenges Li from the slag melt during crystallization/cooling. Hence, future recycling protocols need to be adapted to take Li loss to spinel into account.…


| Autor*innen: | Mathias SchannorORCiD |
|---|---|
| Koautor*innen: | Marcus OelzeORCiD, Heike TraubORCiD, Christian AdamORCiD, Maike Becker, Florian Kargl |
| Dokumenttyp: | Posterpräsentation |
| Veröffentlichungsform: | Präsentation |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung: | 2025 |
| Organisationseinheit der BAM: | 1 Analytische Chemie; Referenzmaterialien |
| 1 Analytische Chemie; Referenzmaterialien / 1.1 Anorganische Spurenanalytik | |
| DDC-Klassifikation: | Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten |
| Freie Schlagwörter: | Battery recycling; LA-ICP-ToF-MS; Li-slags |
| Themenfelder/Aktivitätsfelder der BAM: | Umwelt |
| Umwelt / Circular Economy | |
| Veranstaltung: | EWCPS 2025 |
| Veranstaltungsort: | Berlin, Germany |
| Beginndatum der Veranstaltung: | 02.03.2025 |
| Enddatum der Veranstaltung: | 07.03.2025 |
| Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments: | Datei im Netzwerk der BAM verfügbar ("Closed Access") |
| Datum der Freischaltung: | 07.04.2025 |
| Referierte Publikation: | Nein |

