Umicore

This disclosure concerns the evaluation of a noble metal content in batches of materials such as electronic scrap, and in particular printed circuit boards, which is an essential initial step when recycling is envisaged. A process is presented comprising the steps of: —imaging at least a statistical representative number of the boards of the batch; —processing the images to detect the printed circuit boards; —for each detected printed circuit board, extracting a board-related feature vector using image processing technology; and, —providing a model taking at least the board-related feature vectors as input and calculating the noble metal content of the batch as output, wherein the model is calibrated against batch-level noble metal assays. The present application deals directly with batches of printed circuit boards, allowing for an approach wherein a regression model is calibrated based on total batch assays. Printed circuit board component assays are not needed.

The invention concerns an electrowinning process for the recovery of Cu from leaching solutions, in particular from solutions obtained after acidic leaching of lithium-ion batteries or their waste. Electrowinning is performed on an aqueous sulfuric acid solution at a temperature of 50 to 70° C., wherein the concentration of sulfuric acid is 20 to 100 g/L, wherein the concentration of Cu is at least 2 g/L and at most 15 g/L, and wherein the aqueous acidic solution is free of organic additives. Means for agitating the electrolyte are applied, and a current density of 100 to 210 A/m2 is used. These operating conditions ensure that copper is recovered on flat cathodes as a coherent and uniform deposit.

A positive electrode active material for batteries which comprises Li, M′, and oxygen, wherein M′ comprises: Ni in a content a between 60.0 mol % and 75.0 mol %; Co in a content x between 0.0 mol % and 20.0 mol %; Mn in a content y between 0.0 mol % and 35.0 mol %, a dopant D in a content z between 0.0 mol % and 2.0 mol %, Al, B and W in a total content c between 0.1 mol % and 5.0 mol %, wherein the active material has an Al content Al A , a B content B A , and a W content W A , wherein a, x, y, z, c, Al A , B A and W A are measured by ICP, wherein Al A , B A and W A , wherein the positive electrode active material, when measured by XPS analysis, shows an average Al fraction Al B , an average B fraction B B and an average W fraction W B , wherein Al B /Al A , B B /B A , and W B /W A are all larger than 1.0, and wherein the positive electrode active material is a single crystalline powder.

A positive electrode active material for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries comprises particles having Li, M′, and oxygen, wherein M′ comprises Ni, in a content x, wherein x≥80 at %; Co in a content y, wherein 0.01≤y≤20.0 at %; Y in a content b, wherein 0.01≤b≤2.0 at %; and Zr in a content c, wherein 0.01≤c≤2.0 at %, all at % being relative to M′, and optionally Mn and D. D is at least one element selected from B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mo, Nb, S, Si, Sr, Ti, V, W, and Zn. The material comprises monolithic particles, wherein the particles have a Co content Co edge as measured by cross-sectional EDS at an edge of the particles, and a Co content Co center as measured by cross-sectional EDS at a center of the particle, wherein the ratio Co edge /Co center >1.10.

The present invention relates a method for manufacturing a solid sulfide electrolyte and the solid sulfide electrolyte obtainable from said method. The present inventors surprisingly have found that by mixing of the solid electrolyte precursor mixture with an organic liquid other than ethanol or methanol followed by heat-treating affording the solid sulfur electrolyte, the resulting conductivity of the solid sulfur electrolyte is higher.

The present invention relates to Ni-rich Li-rich positive electrode active material doped with high-valence transition metal ions, such as Mo, exhibiting high capacity and excellent cycling stability.

The present invention relates to a lithium nickel-based oxide positive electrode active material for lithium-ion secondary batteries suitable for electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle applications, comprising lithium transition metal-based oxide particles comprising zirconium, and a preparation method for said positive electrode material.

A lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder having: —a primary phase comprising Li, Co, and O, and—a secondary phase comprising LiNaSO 4 , wherein the content of said LiNaSO 4 secondary phase in said powder is of at least 0.4 wt. % and inferior or equal to 1.1 wt. % with respect to a total weight of the cathode active material powder, said cathode active material powder being characterized in that it has a S/Na atomic ratio superior or equal to 0.80 and inferior or equal to 1.20.

The present invention relates to a solid composite cathode material comprising a ceramic oxide electrolyte material and a lithium electrode material. It was found that the addition of lithium halide to the selected electrolyte and cathode materials strongly enhances the electrochemical performance.

The present invention relates to a solid composite cathode comprising a polymer electrolyte and high-potential NMC type cathode active material. The polymer electrolyte comprises an electrolyte composition, preferably comprising a deep eutectic solvent (DES), and a polymer network having a polyacrylamide backbone.