Lithium Extraction From Commercial Lithium‐Ion Phosphate‐Based Black Masses by Bioleaching Process

The production of lithium-ion batteries is increasing consistently, primarily driven by the booming consumer electronics sector and the electrification of the automotive industry. Lithium (Li) is a vital raw material and an essential component in battery production. The limited availability of natural resources, risks associated with material supply, and price volatility render the recycling of Li from used lithium-ion batteries a crucial objective for enhancing environmentally conscious battery production. Reliable and sustainable methods for Li recovery from spent batteries are essential for the future industrial and ecological landscape globally. The majority of research focuses on recovering valuable Li metal by hydrometallurgical processes, with just a limited number of studies addressing bioleaching. This study presents bioleaching-mediated Li recovery from LFP-based commercial black masses at higher solid content, utilizing the autotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis demonstrated a 90% Li recovery from two distinct commercial black masses within 6 to 24 h at a pulp density of 100-150 g/L. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies of the LFP black masses, both pre- and post-bioleaching, confirmed that most of the Li was extracted from the black masses.