Regeneration of cathode material of lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Lithium metal oxides may be regenerated under ambient conditions from materials recovered from partially or fully depleted lithium-ion batteries. Recovered lithium and metal materials may be reduced to nanoparticles and recombined to produce regenerated lithium metal oxides. The regenerated lithium metal oxides may be used to produce rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

1 . A method for producing lithium metal oxides, the method comprising:
 forming a mixture of at least one lithium halide and at least one metal oxide;   reducing the lithium halide and the metal oxide to respective nanoparticles of lithium and nanoparticles of metal; and   combining the nanoparticles of lithium with the nanoparticles of metal in the presence of oxygen to produce regenerated lithium metal oxide.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reducing of the lithium halide and the metal oxide to the nanoparticles of lithium and the nanoparticles of metal comprises contacting the lithium halide and the metal oxide with at least one metal halide and a reducing agent. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reducing of the lithium halide and the metal oxide to the nanoparticles of lithium and the nanoparticles of metal comprises contacting the lithium halide and the metal oxide with the at least one metal halide and the reducing agent comprises contacting at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient for reducing the lithium halide to produce the nanoparticles of lithium and reducing the metal halide and the metal oxide to produce the nanoparticles of metal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the reducing agent is at least one of hydrogen gas, carbon monoxide, sodium borohydride, lithium borohydride, hydroquinone, hydrazine hydrate, calcium hydride, sodium hydride, N-dimethylformamide, sodium citrate, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein metal of the metal oxide is the same as metal of the metal halide. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the metal of the metal oxide is at least one of Co, Mn, or Ni. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the metal is Co and the metal oxide is CoO, Co 3 O 4 , or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reducing comprises reducing the lithium halide to nanoparticles of lithium and reducing CoO and Co 3 O 4  to nanoparticles of cobalt. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the combining is performed at ambient temperature and under ambient atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lithium halide is lithium chloride. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lithium metal oxide has a formula Li x MO y , where M is one or more transition metals each having a stable formal oxidation state of +2 or +3, and (x+3−z)/2≦y≦(x+3+z)/2, where z is 0, 1, or 2. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein x is 1 and M is at least one of Mn, Co, or Ni. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising obtaining the at least one lithium halide and the at least one metal oxide from a partially or fully depleted lithium-ion battery by a method comprising:
 recovering the lithium metal oxide from the lithium-ion battery; and   converting at least a portion of the lithium metal oxide to the lithium halide and the metal oxide.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the lithium metal oxide is LiCoO 2 . 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the converting at least a portion of the lithium metal oxide to the lithium halide and the metal oxide comprises:
 oxidizing the lithium metal oxide to lithium oxide and the metal oxide;   hydrating the lithium oxide to lithium hydroxide; and   halogenating the lithium hydroxide to the lithium halide.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the oxidizing comprises heating the lithium metal oxide under oxidizing conditions at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient for oxidizing the lithium metal oxide. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the halogenating comprises contacting the lithium hydroxide with a hydrohalic acid to halogenate the lithium hydroxide to the lithium halide. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the hydrohalic acid is at least one of hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrobromic acid, and hydroiodic acid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the hydrating comprises hydrating at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient for decomposing the lithium oxide to lithium hydroxide. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the hydrating comprises hydrating in distilled water.