Specialists from the N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences have created an innovative method for extracting valuable metals — lithium, aluminum, and copper — from lithium-ion batteries using a new generation extractant. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.
The scientists proposed hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents based on readily available industrial reagents. After a detailed characterization of their physicochemical and extraction properties, an effective scheme was developed for separating metals from real leaching solutions of spent batteries.
The key achievement was the creation of a selective extractant. According to Inna Zinovieva, a researcher at the Laboratory of Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Technology, a solvent based on triisobutylphosphine sulfide and thymol allows efficient separation of copper and iron from hydrochloric acid solution.
. The separation coefficients reach high values, ensuring the production of pure metals with a purity of over 99%. At the same time, the viscosity of the solvent is less than 30 mPa·s, which makes it suitable for serial extraction equipment.
The method is promising for creating sustainable technologies for recycling secondary raw materials and extracting strategically important lithium using alternative extractants. It can become the basis for environmentally safe and economically efficient production of critical metals from spent batteries.