Quantifying the degree of selectivity in a Flocculation-Flotation process of LiCoO2 and graphite using scanning electron microscopy and image processing analysis

dc.contributorAalto-yliopistofi
dc.contributorAalto Universityen
dc.contributor.authorRinne, Tommien_US
dc.contributor.authorSaeed, Mohazzamen_US
dc.contributor.authorSerna-Guerrero, Rodrigoen_US
dc.contributor.departmentDepartment of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineeringen
dc.contributor.groupauthorMineral Processing and Recyclingen
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-17T06:40:01Z
dc.date.available2024-04-17T06:40:01Z
dc.date.issued2024-04en_US
dc.descriptionPublisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
dc.description.abstractThis research article studies selective flocculation as a means for improving flotation of lithium-ion battery active materials using mixtures of pure LiCoO2 (LCO) and graphite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with image analysis via density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) is presented as a novel method to quantitatively determine the degree of selectivity in a process that applies selective flocculation as a conditioning stage for froth flotation. SEM was shown to provide visual proof of flocculated particles, even in dried froth samples. Under optimal flocculant concentration of 10 g/t only a few flocs were detected in the froth concentrate, suggesting that heteroflocculation of LCO and graphite was minimized under said conditions. Using a flocculant concentration in excess (50 g/t) resulted in multiple flocculated LCO particles within the froth, indicating loss of flocculation selectivity. These results were corroborated by batch flotation experiments, which showed that treating the pulp with 10 g/t flocculant concentration yielded a graphite froth product at a grade of 98.2 %, compared to 98.1 % recovered from a non-flocculated pulp. An excess flocculant concentration led to a drastic reduction in graphite grade. Similar graphite recoveries were observed in all flotation experiments, indicating that the reduced graphite grade with excess flocculant was a result of hydrophobic heteroflocs carrying entrapped LCO to the froth. Proper pH control throughout the experiment prevented a negative influence of flocculation on the kinetics of graphite recovery, which had been reported in earlier research. The results suggest that selective flocculation is a potential method for improving the separation efficiency of graphite from Li-ion battery waste, and that SEM/DBSCAN can be applied for characterization of selectivity in combined flocculation-flotation processes.en
dc.description.versionPeer revieweden
dc.format.extent12
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationRinne, T, Saeed, M & Serna-Guerrero, R 2024, ' Quantifying the degree of selectivity in a Flocculation-Flotation process of LiCoO 2 and graphite using scanning electron microscopy and image processing analysis ', Minerals Engineering, vol. 209, 108644 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108644en
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108644en_US
dc.identifier.issn0892-6875
dc.identifier.issn1872-9444
dc.identifier.otherPURE UUID: 20385bc6-45b4-461a-93a7-9f0926f0944fen_US
dc.identifier.otherPURE ITEMURL: https://research.aalto.fi/en/publications/20385bc6-45b4-461a-93a7-9f0926f0944fen_US
dc.identifier.otherPURE LINK: http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187517841&partnerID=8YFLogxKen_US
dc.identifier.otherPURE FILEURL: https://research.aalto.fi/files/143682599/CHEM_Rinne_et_al_Quantifying_the_degree_2024_Minerals_Engineering.pdfen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/127516
dc.identifier.urnURN:NBN:fi:aalto-202404173135
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherElsevier Ltd
dc.relation.ispartofseriesMinerals Engineering
dc.relation.ispartofseriesVolume 209
dc.rightsopenAccessen
dc.subject.keywordDBSCANen_US
dc.subject.keywordDirect recyclingen_US
dc.subject.keywordFroth flotationen_US
dc.subject.keywordLithium-ion batteriesen_US
dc.subject.keywordScanning electron microscopyen_US
dc.subject.keywordSelective flocculationen_US
dc.titleQuantifying the degree of selectivity in a Flocculation-Flotation process of LiCoO2 and graphite using scanning electron microscopy and image processing analysisen
dc.typeA1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessäfi
dc.type.versionpublishedVersion
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