WO2025135704A1 - High-temperature reduction device for waste battery recycling - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a high-temperature reduction device for waste battery recycling, the device comprising: a charging unit for inputting raw materials; a heating unit for heating the raw materials inputted from the charging unit; a cooling unit for cooling a heat-treated product; a discharge unit for discharging a reactant cooled from the cooling unit; and a monitoring unit including a first measurement unit for measuring the level of the raw materials inputted by the charging unit for inputting the raw materials in a furnace and a second measurement unit for measuring the level of the raw materials inputted by the raw material charging unit in the heating unit.

Description

High-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries

It relates to waste batteries and a high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries.

As the demand for electric vehicles increases worldwide, the problem of disposal of waste batteries generated from said electric vehicles is emerging as a social issue. In the case of lithium secondary batteries, which are the main raw materials of said waste batteries, organic solvents, explosive substances, and heavy metals such as Ni, Co, Mn, and Fe are contained, but in the case of Ni, Co, Mn, and Li, they have high scarcity value as valuable metals, and the recovery and recycling process after the lithium secondary batteries are discarded is emerging as an important research field.

For the normal recycling of the above-mentioned waste batteries, the waste batteries that have reached the end of their lifespan are subjected to a process of crushing, pulverizing, gravity sorting, and magnetic sorting to extract black powder containing a mixture of positive and negative electrode materials. The black powder contains, for example, oxides of positive electrode materials such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, lithium, aluminum, and oxygen, and some impurities such as graphite and mixtures thereof, aluminum, and copper, which are negative electrode materials. Wet processes and dry processes are largely utilized as methods for recovering valuable metals from the black powder.

The above wet process produces NiSO ₄ , CoSO ₄ , MnSO ₄ , and Li ₂ CO ₃ through leaching, solvent extraction, and lithium production. When the black powder is processed using a wet process, there is a problem that the leaching process time is excessively long because the graphite, which is the negative electrode material contained in the black powder, does not dissolve in a strong acid atmosphere, and there is a problem that the yield is reduced because the black powder is separated together with the graphite.

In this way, the high-temperature reduction device is a key facility in the dry recycling process of waste batteries. It is very important to use the facility to convert waste batteries into desired reactants and feed them into the downstream process to easily control the input raw materials to the target temperature in order to secure a high recovery rate of valuable metals.

However, due to the characteristics of the raw materials in the high-temperature reduction device, there is a problem in that the internal temperature change and the variability of the exhaust gas coming from the raw materials increase depending on the raw material level in the furnace.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for operating a high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, which minimizes the variation of internal temperature deviation according to the raw material level in the furnace and stably performs treatment of exhaust gas coming from the raw material.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries may include a charging unit for charging raw materials, a heating unit for heating the raw materials charged from the charging unit, a cooling unit for cooling a heat-treated product, a discharge unit for discharging a reactant cooled from the cooling unit, and a monitoring unit including a first measuring unit for measuring a level of the raw materials charged by the charging unit within the furnace and a second measuring unit for measuring a temperature of the raw materials charged by the charging unit within the heating unit. In one embodiment, the device may include an environmental treatment unit for treating exhaust gas generated by a reaction of the raw materials within the heating unit.

In one embodiment, the monitoring unit may include a third measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the exhaust gas. In one embodiment, the environmental treatment unit for processing the exhaust gas may include a piping unit through which the exhaust gas generated from the heating unit passes.

In one embodiment, the integrated control unit may include a signal from the monitoring unit to control the amount of raw material input into the charging unit or the temperature of the heating unit. In one embodiment, the integrated control unit may control additional input of the raw material into the charging unit when the temperature of the exhaust gas is measured from the third measuring unit to be 120° C. or lower.

In one embodiment, the integrated control unit can control to additionally add the raw material to the charging unit when the first measuring unit measures that the charging level of the raw material is 70 to 80% or less based on 100% of the total height of the heating unit. In one embodiment, the integrated control unit can control the temperature of the heating unit so that a reactant in the shape of a flake of 3,000 ㎛ or more is not generated and discharged through the discharge unit.

In one embodiment, the first measuring unit can measure the level of the raw material according to at least one of ultrasound, lidar, and radar. In one embodiment, the preheating unit for preheating the raw material fed from the charging unit, and the high temperature heat treatment unit for heating to a temperature higher than that of the preheat treatment unit may include a heat treatment unit in which heat treatment of the raw material is performed at a temperature range of 1,150 to 1,400° C.

In one embodiment, the high temperature heat treatment section may include two or more heat treatment sections in a vertical or horizontal direction. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the preheat treatment section may include a space where the raw material is not filled.

In one embodiment, the raw material can be fed into the charging section at a rate of 15 to 35 mm/min. In one embodiment, the integrated control unit can control the monitoring unit so that the temperature of the heating unit can be controlled in a range of 800 to 1,400° C. In one embodiment, the second measuring unit includes a plurality of units, and can measure the temperatures of the preheat treatment unit and the high-temperature heat treatment unit, respectively.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries includes a measuring unit and a control unit for measuring a raw material loading level and a temperature inside the furnace, thereby minimizing the variability of the internal temperature deviation according to the raw material level inside the furnace and stably performing treatment of exhaust gas coming from the raw material.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a battery processing method for recycling a waste battery provides a waste battery processing method having the advantages described above.

FIG. 1a illustrates a high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1b illustrates a high-temperature reduction device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the change in raw material loading height and temperature over time in a high-temperature reduction device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 shows the change in raw material loading height and temperature over time in a high-temperature reduction device according to a comparative example of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the change in raw material loading height and temperature over time in a high-temperature reduction device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are photographs of recovered reactants according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The terms first, second, and third, etc. are used to describe, but are not limited to, various parts, components, regions, layers, and/or sections. These terms are only used to distinguish one part, component, region, layer, or section from another part, component, region, layer, or section. Thus, a first part, component, region, layer, or section described below may be referred to as a second part, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The word "comprising," as used herein, specifies particular features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components.

When a part is referred to as being "on" or "on" another part, it may be directly on or above the other part, or there may be other parts intervening. In contrast, when a part is referred to as being "directly on" another part, there are no other parts intervening.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms, used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are additionally interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the presently disclosed content, and are not interpreted in an ideal or very formal sense unless defined.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, these are presented as examples, and the present invention is not limited thereby, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims described below.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are a schematic diagram and a cross-sectional view of a high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a high-temperature reduction device (10) for recycling waste batteries according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a charging unit (100) for charging raw materials, a heating unit (110) for heating the raw materials charged from the charging unit (100), a cooling unit (120) for cooling a heat-treated product, a discharge unit (130) for discharging a reactant cooled from the cooling unit (120), and a monitoring unit. The high-temperature reduction device (10) of the present invention refers to a heating furnace utilized in a step of charging battery shreds into a heating furnace capable of raising a temperature to a high temperature and raising the temperature of the battery shreds to a temperature higher than the melting point, and relates to uniformly maintaining a temperature difference within the heating furnace through the monitoring unit.

The high-temperature reduction device (10) may crush waste batteries, and, if necessary, perform high-temperature reduction on waste battery crushed materials that have undergone gravity sorting, magnetic sorting, or classification sorting to produce a reactant containing oxides of nickel, cobalt, manganese, lithium aluminum, or oxygen as positive electrode materials and graphite and mixtures thereof, aluminum, and copper as negative electrode materials.

The charging unit (100) is a member for charging raw materials, and the raw materials may be the waste battery shreds described above. The waste battery shreds refer to materials that become the parent material of the battery shreds, or materials that have been shredded. The parent material of the battery shreds may include batteries that have reached the end of their lifespan, waste batteries, and waste materials generated during the manufacturing process of lithium ion batteries.

Specifically, the waste battery may include positive electrode materials such as scrap, jelly roll, and slurry that constitute the waste battery, defective products generated during the manufacturing process, residues within the manufacturing process, and generated debris. The parent material of the battery shreds may then be manufactured into battery shreds through a shredding process. The shredded material itself may be the shredded product itself, such as black powder. In this way, by recycling waste batteries, battery shreds are manufactured, which is environmentally friendly and economical.

In one embodiment, the raw material may be fed into the charging unit (110) at a speed of 15 to 35 mm/min. Specifically, the raw material may be fed at a speed of 20 to 25 mm/min. As the raw material is fed while satisfying the above-mentioned range, the raw material can easily react in the heating unit and form a target reactant. If the raw material is fed faster than the above-mentioned range, there is a problem that the reaction time is low and the speed is low. If the raw material is fed slower than the above-mentioned range, there is a problem that the reaction time is excessively high and an excessive reaction product is discharged.

In one embodiment, the weight ratio of C/Ni in the raw material may be 20 or more. The weight ratio of C/Ni specifically means a value obtained by dividing the weight % of carbon by the weight % of nickel. In one embodiment, when the weight ratio of C/Ni in the raw material satisfies the above-mentioned range, the size of the powder particles is reduced, so that a spherical reactant having a range of 500 to 3,000 μm, which is an optimal particle size ratio for acid treatment in a post-process, can be formed. When the weight ratio of C/Ni in the raw material is out of the above-mentioned range, it is difficult to form a spherical crushed product, and since the reactant is formed in a lumpy state, there is a problem that reduction by carbon is not completely achieved.

In one embodiment, the charging unit (100) may further include a pusher or a screw. The pusher may be configured to facilitate the injection of raw material loaded through the charging unit (100).

The heating unit (110) is a member that heats the raw material fed from the charging unit (100). The heating unit (110) can feed raw materials such as waste battery shreds into a heating furnace that can raise the temperature of the waste battery shreds to a temperature higher than the melting point. In this way, through the heating unit (110), a Ni-Co-Mn alloy and Li oxide including valuable metals are generated, and the valuable metals can be recovered in a post-process.

In one embodiment, the heating unit (110) may be characterized by heating the raw material introduced from the charging unit (100) at a heating rate of 1 to 10° C./min. Specifically, the heating rate may be performed in a range of 2.0 to 5.0° C./min.

In one embodiment, the heating unit (110) can be performed at a temperature range of 800 to 1,400° C. By performing heating at the above heating rate and in the above temperature range, a Ni-based alloy is formed into spherical particles of 100 to 3,000 μm, thereby increasing the recovery rate of valuable metals and Li.

Specifically, the heating unit (110) may include at least one induction coil. Specifically, the heating unit (110) may include one induction coil, and may use more than one induction coil. In FIG. 1a, one induction coil is used in the preheat treatment unit (111) and additional induction coils are used in the heat absorption unit (112) and the melting unit (113).

In one embodiment, the heating unit (110) may include a preheat treatment unit (111) for preheating the input raw material and a high temperature heat treatment unit (not shown) for heating to a temperature higher than the preheat treatment unit (111). The high temperature heat treatment unit may be a high temperature reduction unit that is a member for reducing the raw material by heating to a temperature higher than the preheat treatment unit (111). In one embodiment, the high temperature heat treatment unit may include two or more heat treatment units in a vertical or horizontal direction.

In one embodiment, the high temperature heating unit may include a heat absorbing unit (112) and a melting unit (113) that heats at a temperature range higher than that of the heat absorbing unit (112) to form at least a portion of a molten layer. The heating unit (110) has an advantage of being able to increase the recovery rate of valuable metals by including sections with different temperatures.

The preheat treatment unit (111) can be heated in a temperature range of 800° C. or less. Specifically, the preheat treatment unit (111) can be heated in a temperature range of 700° C. The preheat treatment unit (111) has a main purpose of removing the electrolyte and separator from the waste battery shreds by preheating the waste battery shreds, which are raw materials, in the above-mentioned range.

The heat absorbing unit (112) can be heated at a higher temperature range than the preheat treatment unit (111). Specifically, the endothermic reaction can occur at a temperature range of 700 to 1200° C., more specifically, 700 to 900° C., and even more specifically, 800 to 900° C. Specifically, the heat absorbing unit (112) can cause an endothermic reaction by a Boudouard reaction that converts CO ₂ gas into 2CO gas in the aforementioned temperature range. By including the heat absorbing unit (112), the high-temperature reduction device (10) can have an environmentally friendly advantage by reducing carbon dioxide.

The melting section (113) can be heated at a higher temperature range than the heat absorbing section (112). Specifically, it can be heated at a temperature range of 1,400° C. or lower, more specifically, at a temperature range of 1,150 to 1,400° C. or lower. In the melting section (113), any one metal material among nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper can be melted and arranged in a spherical shape. The melting section (113) is a member in which heat treatment is performed at the above temperature range so that a Ni-Co-Mn alloy including a valuable metal and a Li oxide can be generated in the highest high-temperature reaction section within the heating section (110).

Specifically, the molten section (113) is a section where the anode, cathode, or separator, which are reduced into a laminated form, are reduced into spherical grains (droplets) that are suitable for reacting in a post-process for extracting valuable metals, such as a wet process, as heat treatment is performed in the aforementioned temperature range.

The melting unit (113) can satisfy a Li recovery rate of 40 to 70%, specifically, a range of 55 to 60%, as it is heated in the aforementioned temperature range, and the Ni-Co-Mn alloy can satisfy a range of 55 to 95%, specifically, a range of 85 to 95%, and more specifically, a range of 85 to 90%. When the melting unit (113) exceeds the upper limit of the aforementioned range, there is a problem that the Li recovery rate becomes excessively low, and when it exceeds the lower limit of the aforementioned range, there is a problem that the recovery rate of the Ni-Co-Mn alloy becomes excessively low. In this way, the melting unit (113) has an advantage of increasing the recovery rate of the Ni-Co-Mn alloy and at the same time increasing the recovery rate of Li as it is performed in the aforementioned temperature range.

In one embodiment, the heating unit (110) includes a heating furnace (110_F) and a heating unit (110_H). The heating furnace (110_F) refers to a passage through which the input raw material passes through the heating unit (110). The heating unit (110_H) refers to a member that applies heat energy to the heating furnace (110_F).

The heating furnace (110_F) may have a temperature difference of 250° C. or less at any location in the short and long axes of the cross-section of the heating furnace (110_F) when the temperature is measured at any location in the short and long axes of the cross-section based on the center. The cross-section of the heating furnace (110_F) means that it is cut in a direction that is different from the direction in which the raw material advances, for example, in a direction intersecting or perpendicular to it.

Specifically, the temperature difference may be the difference between the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature. If the temperature difference between the center and the arbitrary location is outside the temperature range, uniform heat transfer to the heating furnace (110_F) is not easy, which causes a problem in that the recovery rate of valuable metals is reduced.

In one embodiment, the heating member (110_H) includes at least one or more heating members (110), and the heating member (110_H) may apply heat energy by a method such as induction heating, gas heating, or resistance heating. In one embodiment, the heating member (110_H) may have a coil shape as a means for supplying the heat energy. In one embodiment, the wire of the coil may have a cross-section of any one of a circular, square, rectangular, oval, triangular, trapezoidal, rhombus, and star shape, as non-limiting examples.

In one embodiment, the coil of the heating unit (110_H) may have a pitch distance between the coils that becomes narrower as the coil gets farther away from the center area of the coil. The center area of the coil means an area that includes a median value when the coil is wound in a longitudinal direction. The pitch of the coil means the distance between two effective coil edges when the coil is wound.

In the case of induction heating, the coil inductance is proportional to the number of turns of the coil. Specifically, the coil inductance is proportional to the number of turns of the coil. Specifically, if the coil has many turns, the applied heat energy is higher, and if the coil has few turns, the applied heat energy is lower.

By utilizing this principle, the coil of the heating unit (110_H) of the present invention implemented has an advantage in that it can disperse heat in the central region where heat energy was previously concentrated, as the pitch spacing between the coils becomes narrower as it gets farther away from the central region of the coil. In one embodiment, the heating unit (110_H) is arranged in the preheat treatment unit (111), the heat absorption unit (112), and the melting unit (113), respectively, to control the temperature of the heating unit (110).

The heating unit (110) can perform heating under a gas atmosphere containing oxygen, and the oxygen can be contained in a volume fraction of 5 vol% or less. In one embodiment, the heating unit (110) can be performed in an atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure of 0.1 atm or less. As heating is performed in a gas atmosphere containing some oxygen in the above-described range, lithium oxide for lithium recovery can be easily formed, thereby improving the recovery rate of valuable metals.

In one embodiment, the preheat treatment unit (111) within the heating unit (110) can be performed at a power of 12.0 kW or more. Specifically, the preheat treatment unit (111) can be performed at a power of 12.0 to 15.0 kW. Specifically, the power can be performed at a power of 12.0 to 14 kW.

In one embodiment, the melting portion (113) within the heating portion (110) can be performed at a power of 16.0 kW or greater. Specifically, the power can be performed at a power of 16.0 to 19.0 kW. Specifically, the power can be performed at a power of 17.5 to 18.5 kW.

The power applied to the above preheat treatment section (111) and melting section (113) may mean the minimum energy required to heat the reactants, and by satisfying the above range, the power can perform heat treatment in the target temperature range.

In one embodiment, the residence time of the reactant within the heating unit (110) may be performed for 5 to 7 hours. The residence time may mean a value obtained by dividing the entire length of the heating unit (110) by the movement distance of the reactant per hour. For example, in a heating unit (110) that produces a reactant at 65 kg/hr per hour, if the length of the heating unit (110) is 285 cm, the reactant moves at about 44 cm per hour and passes after remaining within the heating unit (110) for about 6.5 hours.

When performed within the above-mentioned residence time of the heating unit (110), there is an advantage of improving the recovery rate of valuable metals such as Li and Ni, Co, and Mn of the heating unit (110). When the above-mentioned residence time is outside the above-mentioned range, not only is Li lost, but the particle size of the reduced valuable metal increases, which causes a problem of a longer post-process leaching time.

In one embodiment, the target temperature of the preheat treatment section (111) within the heating section (110) may satisfy the following equation 1.

<Formula 1>

T ₁₁₁ ≥ 0.813(x/(Cp×m) + 25)

(In the above equation 1, x is the input energy [W], Cp is the specific heat [J/Kg-℃], and m is the mass transport amount [Kg/s])

In one embodiment, the target temperature of the molten portion (113) within the heating portion (110) may satisfy the following equation 2.

<Formula 2>

T ₁₁₃ ≥ 0.4(x/(Cp×m) + 700)

(In the above equation 2, x is the input energy [W], Cp is the specific heat [J/Kg-℃], and m is the mass transport amount [Kg/s])

The above equations 1 and 2 specifically represent the target temperatures of the preheat treatment section (111) and the melting section (113) in the heating section (110) and the minimum value of the supply energy of the reactants being input. By inputting the minimum energy of the equations 1 and 2, the target temperatures of the preheat treatment section (111) and the melting section (113) can be reached. In one embodiment, x in the equation 1 may be 12,000 W or more. In one embodiment, x in the equation 2 may be 16,000 W or more.

By controlling the target temperature according to the supply energy of the reactants as in the above equations 1 and 2, there is an advantage in that the recovery rate of valuable metals such as Li, Ni, Co, and Mn can be improved. If heating is performed in a temperature range outside the range of the above equations 1 and 2, there is a problem in that the recovery rate of valuable metals decreases.

The cooling unit (120) includes a step of cooling the reactant generated through the heating unit (110) to 100° C. or lower. The reactant may be a reduction reaction material generated through the heating unit (110). The cooling unit (120) can stabilize the reactant heated in the heating unit (110) as cooling proceeds within the above-described range.

The discharge unit (130) is a member through which a reactant including a valuable metal cooled through the cooling unit (120) is discharged. The reactant including the valuable metal may be composed of a Ni-Co-based alloy, a lithium compound, carbon, and other residual impurities. The impurities may include, for example, impurities such as Al, Cu, P, Na, Mg, and F.

In one embodiment, the high-temperature reduction device (10) may recover 60% or more of the reactants from the raw materials based on the total raw materials. Specifically, the weight of the waste battery shreds before being fed into the furnace may have a recovery rate of 60 to 65% or more of the reactants after the heat treatment. In one embodiment, Ni-Co among the reactants after the heat treatment may be 40% or more of the total weight.

The high temperature reduction device (10) may include a magnetic separation unit for magnetically separating the alloy recovered after cooling. The magnetic separation unit may be placed within the discharge unit (130) or may be placed separately from the discharge unit (130).

In one embodiment, the magnetic separator can magnetically separate a Ni-Co-based alloy with a magnetic field strength of 100 Gauss or greater. By performing magnetic separation with a magnetic field strength of 100 Gauss or greater, there is an advantage in that the recovery rate of the valuable metal alloy can be increased by separately separating the Co-based alloy having magnetism.

In one embodiment, the discharge unit (130) may further include a stepper. The stepper may be, for example, a member having elasticity, and may be a means for more precisely and easily discharging the amount of reactant discharged from the discharge unit (130).

In one embodiment, the high-temperature reduction device (10) may further include at least one suction. The suction port may be a member for controlling and ventilating the gas concentration and heat inside the heating unit. The suction port may be arranged, for example, in the section of the input section, which is a front member of the heating unit (110), or the cooling section (120), which is a rear member of the heating unit (110).

The above monitoring unit may include a first measuring unit that measures the level of raw material inside the furnace that is fed by the feeding unit (100) that feeds the raw material, and a second measuring unit that measures the temperature of the raw material inside the heating unit that is fed by the feeding unit (100). Specifically, the monitoring unit may check the temperature of the heating unit inside the high-temperature reduction device or the level of the raw material that is fed inside the heating unit.

In one embodiment, the first measuring unit can measure the level of the raw material according to at least one of ultrasound, lidar, and radar. Specifically, the first measuring unit can determine the characteristics of the shredded material, such as the tap density of the battery shredded material loaded into the heating unit (110) from the loading unit (100).

In one embodiment, the first measuring unit can measure the shrinkage characteristics of the raw material loaded from the loading unit (100). In one embodiment, the first measuring unit can measure the loading level of the raw material, and when the loading level is 70 to 80% or less of the total height of the furnace, the raw material can be controlled to be further loaded into the loading unit (110). Specifically, the first measuring unit can further load the raw material when the loading level of the raw material is 70 to 80% or less of the total height of the heating unit (110).

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the preheat treatment unit (111) may include a space where the raw material is not filled. Specifically, the charging level of the raw material may be controlled so that the raw material does not fill 100% of the space of the preheat treatment unit (111) and heat escapes to the outside through the environmental treatment unit. By maintaining the charging level within the above-described range, the heat emitted onto the raw material can be uniformly maintained, and problems such as exhaust gas heading to the environmental treatment unit accumulating and clogging a pipe connected to the environmental treatment unit can be prevented.

In one embodiment, the second measuring unit may include a temperature measuring sensing unit, such as a thermometer, for example. The second measuring unit is for measuring the temperature of the heating unit (110) within the heating unit, and may be, for example, positioned outside the heating unit (110) to measure the temperature of the heating unit.

In one embodiment, an environmental treatment unit for treating exhaust gas generated by the reaction of the raw material in the heating unit (110) may be included. The environmental treatment unit may be a member that captures byproducts generated by the heating process of the raw material in the heating unit (110), such as gases containing carbon dioxide or fluorine. However, the byproducts may accumulate in the pipes through cooling, where gases or dust are discharged during the high-temperature reduction process of the battery shreds, thereby causing a problem of blockage, which may increase the pressure inside the furnace and prevent gas discharge, thereby hindering the function of the environmental treatment unit. To solve this problem, it is important to maintain an appropriate temperature in the pipes.

In one embodiment, the piping section connected to the environmental treatment section can be controlled to a temperature of 100° C. or higher. Specifically, the temperature can be controlled to a temperature of 120° C. or higher. If the temperature is maintained below the above-mentioned range, there is a problem that gas or dust accumulates in the piping section due to cooling. The above-mentioned problem can be solved by monitoring the temperature of the exhaust gas through the first to third measuring sections, and if the temperature of the exhaust gas is low, increasing the raw material charging level to increase the temperature of the exhaust gas.

In one embodiment, the monitoring unit may include a third measuring unit that measures the temperature of the exhaust gas. In one embodiment, the third measuring unit may measure the temperature of the exhaust gas when it is discharged to the environmental treatment unit. The third measuring unit may function to maintain an appropriate temperature of the exhaust gas so that the exhaust gas can smoothly escape to the environmental treatment unit while preventing clogging of the pipe section, and may also prevent the temperature inside the heating unit (110) from becoming excessively high.

In one embodiment, the integrated control unit can detect a signal from the monitoring unit to control the input amount of the raw material of the charging unit (100) or the temperature of the heating unit (110). The integrated control unit can control the monitoring unit including the first measuring unit, the second measuring unit, and the third measuring unit, the charging unit (100), and the heating unit (110). Specifically, the integrated control unit can detect signals received from the first measuring unit, the second measuring unit, and the third measuring unit, and control the charging unit (100) and the heating unit (110).

When it is measured through the first measuring unit, the second measuring unit, and the third measuring unit that the temperature of the heating unit (110) is lowered or the charging level of the raw material is excessively lowered, the temperature of the heating unit (110) can be increased to prevent the battery shreds from being reduced to a reactant at a low temperature. In addition, by measuring the temperature inside the heating unit (110) and the temperature of the exhaust gas emitted from the battery shreds, it is possible to prevent the phenomenon of the exhaust gas accumulating and clogging the pipe in advance.

In one embodiment, the integrated control unit can control the monitoring unit to control the temperature of the heating unit to be within a range of 800 to 1,400° C. Specifically, the integrated control unit can control the temperature of the heating unit (110) to be within a range of 1,200 to 1,400° C. based on a signal detected from the monitoring unit.

The temperature of the heating unit (110) can be controlled by measuring the temperature of the exhaust gas and the temperature of the heating unit using the third measuring unit and the second measuring unit. At this time, the temperature of the heating unit (110) can be maintained to have a uniform temperature, and clogging of the pipe due to cooling of dust in the pipe can be prevented, thereby enabling normal operation.

In another embodiment, the high temperature reduction device (10) may be implemented in a horizontal form rather than a vertical form, and may be appropriately changed according to changes in the design of the process.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments and comparative examples of the present invention will be described. However, the following examples are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

<Experimental Example 1>: Reduction rate of raw material loading level according to temperature

Figure 2 shows the rate of decrease in height of raw material according to temperature.

Referring to Figure 2, this is the result of measuring the height of the raw material in the first measuring section while heating up to the target temperature of 1,310℃ after filling the furnace with 100% of the raw material. Through this measurement, it is possible to confirm the change in characteristics according to the temperature of the charged material for the raw material. Specifically, a certain amount of time is required for the actual raw material to maintain the target temperature and for sufficient heat to be transferred to the inside of the furnace to become a reactant.

<Experimental Example 2>: Control of clogging of pipes in environmental treatment unit by controlling raw material loading level

Figures 3a and 3b are photographs of piping connected to the environmental treatment unit.

Fig. 3a is a picture of the inside of the pipe before the raw material loading height is controlled to an appropriate level, and Fig. 3b is a picture of the inside of the pipe after the raw material loading height is controlled to be continuously maintained at an appropriate level, specifically, about 70 to 80% of the entire heating section (110) based on 100%. Referring to Fig. 3a, it can be confirmed that dust accumulations such as tar have accumulated inside the pipe. Referring to Fig. 3b, it can be confirmed that exhaust gas is easily discharged without dust accumulations such as tar inside the pipe. Through this, it was confirmed that the clogging of the pipe can be prevented by controlling the raw material loading level.

<Experimental Example 3>: Status of Reactant Recovery According to Raw Material Loading Level Control

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the change in raw material loading height and temperature over time in a high-temperature reduction device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 4, in the case of battery shreds for which preprocessing conditions are easily achieved, it can be confirmed that the raw material fed into the charging section is fed uniformly at a speed of 30 mm/min. Then, after reaching the target temperature of 1,320°C, it reaches the heating section and temperature control begins.

The temperatures of the first and second measuring sections are controlled by the integrated control section to maintain the temperature, and the level of the charged raw material fluctuates according to the shrinkage characteristics of the charged raw material. Here, it is very important to control the charging level at 70 to 80%. If the raw material charging level is lower than the range of 70 to 80%, the heat of the preheating section is rapidly lost upward, and accordingly, the temperature fluctuation range of the preheating section becomes large. This may cause a problem in the reaction of the raw material. Therefore, if the charging height of the raw material rapidly changes at the time of discharging the reactants, the temperature fluctuation range of the preheating section also increases.

In this way, in order to solve the temperature control deviation inside the furnace depending on the height of the raw material, the charging level conditions that consider both the shrinkage characteristics of the raw material and the temperature control discharge conditions must be well controlled so that the height of the charging section can be controlled according to each condition. Accordingly, the variability of the reactants generated inside the furnace also increases, and there is a problem that the recovery rate is reduced by affecting the form of the reactants input to the lower process.

Loading control Flake shape of 3000 ㎛ or more Droplets less than 3000 ㎛ Environmental treatment pipe blockage 80% or more generation Decrease in ratio O 70 ~ 80% control Non-occurrence Good X 70% or less generation Decrease in ratio X

Table 1 below shows the form of reactants that affect the recovery rate depending on whether or not the raw material charging level is controlled. When the raw material charging level is controlled to 70 to 80% based on 100% of the entire heating section, Flakes that affect the recovery rate are hardly generated, and when the level is 80% or more or 70% or less, the temperature fluctuation range of the preheating section becomes large, which causes a temperature change inside the furnace, and it can be confirmed that reactants in the form of Flakes are generated. FIGS. 5a and 5b are photographs of recovered reactants according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5a shows the shape of the recovered reactant in the form of a flake when the charging level is low, and Fig. 5b shows the shape of the recovered reactant when the charging level is maintained within the range of the present invention. Referring to Figs. 5a and 5b, it was confirmed that the shape of the recovered reactant was easily controlled by maintaining the charging level at an appropriate level.

Although the preferred embodiments have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concepts defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: High temperature reduction device 100: Charging section

110: Heating section 120: Cooling section

130: Exhaust section 111: Preheat treatment section

112: Heat absorbing part 113: Melting part

110_F: Heating unit 110_H: Heating unit

Claims (15)

Charging section for charging raw materials; A heating unit for heating the raw material fed from the charging unit; A cooling unit for cooling the heat-treated product; A discharge unit for discharging the cooled reactant from the above cooling unit; and A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, comprising a monitoring unit including a first measuring unit for measuring the level of raw materials fed by the feeding unit, and a second measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the raw materials fed by the feeding unit within the heating unit. In the first paragraph, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, comprising an environmental treatment unit that treats exhaust gas generated by the reaction of the raw material in the heating unit. In the second paragraph, The environmental treatment unit for processing the above exhaust gas is a high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, which includes a pipe section through which the exhaust gas generated from the heating section passes. In the second paragraph, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, wherein the monitoring unit includes a third measuring unit that measures the temperature of the exhaust gas. In the fourth paragraph, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, comprising an integrated control unit that detects a signal from the monitoring unit and controls the amount of raw material input into the charging unit or the temperature of the heating unit. In clause 5, When the above integrated control unit measures from the third measuring unit that the temperature of the exhaust gas is 120°C or lower, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, which controls additional input of the raw material into the charging section. In clause 5, The above integrated control unit, when the first measuring unit measures that the loading level of the raw material is 70 to 80% or less based on 100% of the total height of the heating unit, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, which controls additional input of the raw material into the charging section. In Article 7, The above integrated control unit is a high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries that controls the temperature of the heating unit so that a flake-shaped reactant of 3,000 ㎛ or more is not generated through the discharge unit. In the first paragraph, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, wherein the first measuring unit measures the level of the raw material according to at least one of ultrasound, lidar, and radar. In the first paragraph, A preheat treatment section for preheating the raw material fed from the above charging section; Includes a high temperature heat treatment section that heats to a higher temperature than the above preheat treatment section, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, wherein the high-temperature heat treatment unit includes a heat treatment unit in which heat treatment of the raw material is performed at a temperature range of 1,150 to 1,400°C. In the first paragraph, The above high temperature heat treatment unit is a high temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, which includes two or more heat treatment units in a vertical or horizontal direction. In Article 10, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, comprising a space in at least a portion of the above preheat treatment section in which the raw material is not filled. In the first paragraph, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, wherein the above raw materials are fed into the charging section at a speed of 15 to 35 mm/min. In the first paragraph, A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, wherein the integrated control unit controls the monitoring unit to control the temperature of the heating unit to be within a range of 800 to 1,400°C. In Article 10, The above second measuring unit comprises a plurality of: A high-temperature reduction device for recycling waste batteries, which measures the temperatures of the above-mentioned preheat treatment section and the above-mentioned high-temperature heat treatment section, respectively.

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