(100c) Comparative Study of Eco-Friendly Bioleaching Solvents for Sustainable Recovery of Critical Materials and Minerals from Spent Batteries

Critical materials and minerals (CMMs) underpin both the electric vehicle (EV) revolution and the fight against climate change. However, surging demand from booming EV and clean energy sectors threatens CMMs supply in U.S., raising concerns about their shortages and price volatility. Black mass from spent battery represents a significant resource rich in CMMs like cobalt, nickel, and lithium. Valorization of spent batteries can offer environmental and economic benefits through reduced reliance on virgin materials and improved battery circularity.

Conventional CMMs extraction from black mass relies on energy-intensive pyrometallurgy or chemical-heavy hydrometallurgy. Bioleaching, utilizing biolixiviants (e.g., short-chain fatty acids or gluconic acid) derived from renewable resources, presents a promising alternative. Studies demonstrate remarkable potential with bioleaching, achieving over 90% recovery of critical metals like cobalt and lithium at small scales¹. Further research is crucial to explore diverse biolixiviant options and optimize leaching conditions, ultimately reducing the operational and capital costs².

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of various environmental friendly and cost-effective bioleaching solvents under different leaching conditions. The efficiency of biolixiviants production under different operation conditions (e.g., inoculum, temperature, pH) using renewable resources was explored. Subsequently, the black mass obtained from spent batteries served as the primary substrate for bioleaching experiments. Various leaching conditions (e.g., biolixiviants composition, pH, pulp density)were examined to establish a comparative dataset on CMMs recovery efficiency from spent batteries. The outcomes of this study helped the development of eco-friendly bioleaching processes and contributed to the creation of a sustainable end-of-life management strategy for the surge of battery waste.

Reference:

(1) Alipanah, M.; Reed, D.; Thompson, V.; Fujita, Y.; Jin, H. Sustainable Bioleaching of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Critical Materials Recovery. Journal of Cleaner Production 2023, 382, 135274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135274.

(2) Biswal, B. K.; Balasubramanian, R. Recovery of Valuable Metals from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Microbial Agents for Bioleaching: A Review. Frontiers in Microbiology 2023, 14.