3210 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
CONCLUSION
The LFP black mass flotation poses distinct challenges com-
pared to NMC or LCO black mass types, primarily due to
the ultrafine nature of LFP particles. Addressing these chal-
lenges, this study explored a novel reagent scheme integrat-
ing graphite promoter ESCAID110 and a frother MIBC
alongside a flocculant, polyacrylamide (PAM). First, the
bubble loading experiments show that adding PAM into
LFP conditioned with MIBC and ESCAID decreases the
attachment of LFP particles from 10.9±3.0 to 6.1±0.9 due
to the agglomeration of the LFP particles. In addition, it
was shown that when PAM was used in conjunction with
MIBC and ESCAID, the bubble loading decreased from
100% to 85.0±3% for graphite particles. This suggests
that the presence of PAM in the mixture affects the sur-
face properties of the graphite particles, potentially altering
their hydrophobicity or changing the dynamics of bubble-
particle interactions.
The findings of the flotation tests with MBM demon-
strate that PAM notably enhances the grade and recovery
of graphite, where particles are fully liberated without bind-
ers. The addition of 100g/t PAM significantly improved
the graphite grade in the overflow product from 45.5% to
71.1%, and recovery from 38.9% to 90.6%.
Better grade where obtained with 50g/t, 82%C but the
recovery dropped to 72.2%C. Therefore, 100 g/t of PAM
was selected for IBM flotation test work. However, the result
of test with only MIBC and ESCAID were better compared
to with addition of PAM, with grade of 88%C and recov-
ery of 81.4% compared to grade of 66.8%C and recovery
of 70.9%C. Additionally, attrition pre-treatment for IBM
unexpectedly resulted in a lower carbon grade, likely due to
the liberation and subsequent entrainment of ultrafine LFP
particles into the overflow product. These outcomes under-
score the delicate balance required in reagent selection and
process optimization for LFP black mass flotation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the EU Horizon
Europe-EIT Raw Materials for funding the ReLiFe
(Recycling Lithium Ferro phosphate in the RIS area)
Project, KAVA reference: 22020.
REFERENCES
Chehreh Chelgani, S., Rudolph, M., Kratzsch, R.,
Sandmann, D., Gutzmer, J., 2016. A Review
of Graphite Beneficiation Techniques. Miner.
Process. Extr. Metall. Rev. 37, 58–68. doi: 10.1080
/08827508.2015.1115992.
Naik, P.K., Reddy, P.S.R., Misra, V.N., 2005. Interpretation
of interaction effects and optimization of reagent dos-
ages for fine coal flotation. Int. J. Miner. Process. 75,
83–90. doi: 10.1016/j.minpro.2004.05.001.
Nichols, C., Holland, A., 2023. Li-ion Battery Recycling
Market 2023–2043, IDTechEx.
Rinne, T., Araya-Gómez, N., Serna-Guerrero, R., 2023.
A Study on the Effect of Particle Size on Li-Ion
Battery Recycling via Flotation and Perspectives on
Selective Flocculation. Batteries 9, 68. doi: 10.3390
/batteries9020068.
Salces, A.M., Bremerstein, I., Rudolph, M., Vanderbruggen,
A., 2022. Joint recovery of graphite and lithium
metal oxides from spent lithium-ion batteries using
froth flotation and investigation on process water
re-use. Miner. Eng. 184, 107670. doi: 10.1016
/j.mineng.2022.107670.
Shin, H., Zhan, R., Dhindsa, K.S., Pan, L., Han, T.,
2020. Electrochemical Performance of Recycled
Cathode Active Materials Using Froth Flotation-based
Separation Process. J. Electrochem. Soc. 167, 020504.
doi: 10.1149/1945-7111/AB6280.
Vanderbruggen, A., 2022. Lithium-ion batteries recycling
with froth flotation—A study on characterization
and liberation strategies. [Doctoral dissertation, Aalto
University].
Vanderbruggen, A., Salces, A., Ferreira, A., Rudolph,
M., Serna-guerrero, R., 2022. Improving Separation
Efficiency in End-of-Life Lithium-Ion Batteries
Flotation Using Attrition Pre-Treatment. Minerals 12.
doi: 10.3390/min12010072.
Vanderbruggen, A., Sygusch, J., Rudolph, M., Serna-
guerrero, R., 2021. A contribution to under-
standing the flotation behavior of lithium
metal oxides and spheroidized graphite for lith-
ium-ion battery recycling. Colloids Surfaces A
Physicochem. Eng. Asp. 626, 127111. doi: 10.1016
/j.colsurfa.2021.127111.
Zhang, G., He, Y., Feng, Y., Wang, H., Zhang, T., Xie, W.,
Zhu, X., 2018. Enhancement in liberation of electrode
materials derived from spent lithium-ion battery by
pyrolysis. J. Clean. Prod. 199, 62–68. doi: 10.1016/j.
jclepro.2018.07.143.
Zhou, S., Wang, X., Bu, X., Shao, H., Hu, Y., Alheshibri,
M., Li, B., Ni, C., Peng, Y., Xie, G., 2020. Effects of
emulsified kerosene nanodroplets on the entrainment
of gangue materials and selectivity index in aphanitic
graphite flotation. Miner. Eng. 158, 106592. doi:
10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106592
CONCLUSION
The LFP black mass flotation poses distinct challenges com-
pared to NMC or LCO black mass types, primarily due to
the ultrafine nature of LFP particles. Addressing these chal-
lenges, this study explored a novel reagent scheme integrat-
ing graphite promoter ESCAID110 and a frother MIBC
alongside a flocculant, polyacrylamide (PAM). First, the
bubble loading experiments show that adding PAM into
LFP conditioned with MIBC and ESCAID decreases the
attachment of LFP particles from 10.9±3.0 to 6.1±0.9 due
to the agglomeration of the LFP particles. In addition, it
was shown that when PAM was used in conjunction with
MIBC and ESCAID, the bubble loading decreased from
100% to 85.0±3% for graphite particles. This suggests
that the presence of PAM in the mixture affects the sur-
face properties of the graphite particles, potentially altering
their hydrophobicity or changing the dynamics of bubble-
particle interactions.
The findings of the flotation tests with MBM demon-
strate that PAM notably enhances the grade and recovery
of graphite, where particles are fully liberated without bind-
ers. The addition of 100g/t PAM significantly improved
the graphite grade in the overflow product from 45.5% to
71.1%, and recovery from 38.9% to 90.6%.
Better grade where obtained with 50g/t, 82%C but the
recovery dropped to 72.2%C. Therefore, 100 g/t of PAM
was selected for IBM flotation test work. However, the result
of test with only MIBC and ESCAID were better compared
to with addition of PAM, with grade of 88%C and recov-
ery of 81.4% compared to grade of 66.8%C and recovery
of 70.9%C. Additionally, attrition pre-treatment for IBM
unexpectedly resulted in a lower carbon grade, likely due to
the liberation and subsequent entrainment of ultrafine LFP
particles into the overflow product. These outcomes under-
score the delicate balance required in reagent selection and
process optimization for LFP black mass flotation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the EU Horizon
Europe-EIT Raw Materials for funding the ReLiFe
(Recycling Lithium Ferro phosphate in the RIS area)
Project, KAVA reference: 22020.
REFERENCES
Chehreh Chelgani, S., Rudolph, M., Kratzsch, R.,
Sandmann, D., Gutzmer, J., 2016. A Review
of Graphite Beneficiation Techniques. Miner.
Process. Extr. Metall. Rev. 37, 58–68. doi: 10.1080
/08827508.2015.1115992.
Naik, P.K., Reddy, P.S.R., Misra, V.N., 2005. Interpretation
of interaction effects and optimization of reagent dos-
ages for fine coal flotation. Int. J. Miner. Process. 75,
83–90. doi: 10.1016/j.minpro.2004.05.001.
Nichols, C., Holland, A., 2023. Li-ion Battery Recycling
Market 2023–2043, IDTechEx.
Rinne, T., Araya-Gómez, N., Serna-Guerrero, R., 2023.
A Study on the Effect of Particle Size on Li-Ion
Battery Recycling via Flotation and Perspectives on
Selective Flocculation. Batteries 9, 68. doi: 10.3390
/batteries9020068.
Salces, A.M., Bremerstein, I., Rudolph, M., Vanderbruggen,
A., 2022. Joint recovery of graphite and lithium
metal oxides from spent lithium-ion batteries using
froth flotation and investigation on process water
re-use. Miner. Eng. 184, 107670. doi: 10.1016
/j.mineng.2022.107670.
Shin, H., Zhan, R., Dhindsa, K.S., Pan, L., Han, T.,
2020. Electrochemical Performance of Recycled
Cathode Active Materials Using Froth Flotation-based
Separation Process. J. Electrochem. Soc. 167, 020504.
doi: 10.1149/1945-7111/AB6280.
Vanderbruggen, A., 2022. Lithium-ion batteries recycling
with froth flotation—A study on characterization
and liberation strategies. [Doctoral dissertation, Aalto
University].
Vanderbruggen, A., Salces, A., Ferreira, A., Rudolph,
M., Serna-guerrero, R., 2022. Improving Separation
Efficiency in End-of-Life Lithium-Ion Batteries
Flotation Using Attrition Pre-Treatment. Minerals 12.
doi: 10.3390/min12010072.
Vanderbruggen, A., Sygusch, J., Rudolph, M., Serna-
guerrero, R., 2021. A contribution to under-
standing the flotation behavior of lithium
metal oxides and spheroidized graphite for lith-
ium-ion battery recycling. Colloids Surfaces A
Physicochem. Eng. Asp. 626, 127111. doi: 10.1016
/j.colsurfa.2021.127111.
Zhang, G., He, Y., Feng, Y., Wang, H., Zhang, T., Xie, W.,
Zhu, X., 2018. Enhancement in liberation of electrode
materials derived from spent lithium-ion battery by
pyrolysis. J. Clean. Prod. 199, 62–68. doi: 10.1016/j.
jclepro.2018.07.143.
Zhou, S., Wang, X., Bu, X., Shao, H., Hu, Y., Alheshibri,
M., Li, B., Ni, C., Peng, Y., Xie, G., 2020. Effects of
emulsified kerosene nanodroplets on the entrainment
of gangue materials and selectivity index in aphanitic
graphite flotation. Miner. Eng. 158, 106592. doi:
10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106592