Kinetics and Thermodynamics Study of Ammonia Leaching on Spent LMR-NMC Battery Cathodes

Indra Perdana; Muhammad Irfan Rahman; Doni Riski Aprilianto; Himawan Tri Bayu Murti Petrus; Divita Hayyu Kinanti

doi:10.22146/ijc.93312

Kinetics and Thermodynamics Study of Ammonia Leaching on Spent LMR-NMC Battery Cathodes

https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.93312

Indra Perdana^(1*), Muhammad Irfan Rahman⁽²⁾, Doni Riski Aprilianto⁽³⁾, Himawan Tri Bayu Murti Petrus⁽⁴⁾, Divita Hayyu Kinanti⁽⁵⁾

(1) Sustainable Mineral Processing Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika No. 2, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
(2) Sustainable Mineral Processing Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika No. 2, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
(3) Sustainable Mineral Processing Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika No. 2, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
(4) Sustainable Mineral Processing Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika No. 2, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
(5) Sustainable Mineral Processing Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika No. 2, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

The recycling of spent lithium NMC-type batteries, widely used in electric vehicles, presents a challenge due to manganese content, which complicates metal separation and purification. This study explored a selective leaching process using ammonia to recover metals from high-manganese-content LMR-NMC cathodes. By adjusting the (NH₄)₂SO₄ reagent concentration to 1–2 M and maintaining the temperature between 50–80 °C, the recovery rates of lithium, nickel and cobalt metals were enhanced, leaving manganese primarily as residue in the form of Mn(OH)₂ and (NH₄)₂Mn(SO₄)₂. A kinetics model, integrating an equilibrium-shrinking core model with a modified temperature-dependent Arrhenius approach, accurately simulates the metal recovery. The activation energies of the forward leaching reactions of Li, Ni, and Co were respectively (1.4331±0.0036)×10⁵, (1.5494±0.0034)×10⁵, and (1.5743±0.0040)×10⁵ J/mol, while those for the backward reactions were (5.3307±0.0041)×10⁵, (2.4753±0.0093)×10⁵, and (1.6289±0.0092)×10⁵ J/mol, respectively. The leaching mechanism was found to be exothermic, which allows maximum recovery at low temperatures. The findings highlight ammonia’s effectiveness as a selective leachant, significantly reducing manganese in the leaching solution, and streamlining nickel and cobalt separation, thus enhancing the recycling process’s efficiency and sustainability.

Keywords

NMC battery; recycling; ammonia leaching; kinetics; thermodynamics

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.93312