Researchers on the CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, have observed a unique technique to extract high-purity lithium from discarded lithium-ion batteries. The innovation is extremely relevant as India is totally depending on lithium imports.
Unlike conventional methods that extract metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese first – leading to decreased lithium quality and greater environ mental effects – CSIR-CSMCRI’s method extracts lithium at the outset and in its purest form. The group uses anthraquinone salt and hydrogen according to oxide to split lithium from the black mass powder recovered from used batteries. This notably enhance both the efficiency and environmental sustainability of the process.
Recently, extracting one ton of pure lithium needs about 28 tons of battery waste. Existing process are gradual, high priced, and wasteful – making them unattractive to battery producers. The new technology promises to overcome those challenges by using boosting healing efficiency, minimizing environmental damage, and turning in up to 97% pure lithium.
The work has been posted in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, a prestigious journal of the German Chemical Society.
