Influence of the Adsorption Characteristics of Crushed and Mechanically Activated Powdered Chemical Power Sources on the Efficiency of Producing Cobalt and Lithium Compounds by Leaching and Extraction

Currently, there is much concern about the recycling and processing of used complex chemical power sources (CPS) resulting from the use of mobile communication devices, electric vehicles, and various electronic devices. An environmentally friendly technology for the recycling of CPSs by multi-stage methods developed at the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” — IREA is presented. The technology involves opening, crushing, and grinding (with mechanical activation), followed by liquid–solid leaching and liquid–liquid extraction. The target product is a powdery precipitate containing compounds of cobalt (Co), lithium (Li), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), etc. The grinding stage (in a ball mill or a disintegrator) leads to the destruction of the particle structure, changing their specific surface area and porosity. As a result, the intensity and efficiency of the extraction processes increase. The textural characteristics (such as specific surface area, porosity, total pore volume, micro- and mesopore volume) of crushed and powdered samples containing graphite with inclusions of Co and Li compounds are determined. The methods implemented in the Micromeritics ASAP 2020 analyzer software such as BET, t-Plot, Dubinin–Radushkevich, Dubinin–Astakhov, Horvath–Kawazoe, and BJH are used. The calculated texture characteristics can be used to optimize the extraction of the target components from a mechanically activated powder during leaching followed by extraction.