Quantifying the degree of selectivity in a Flocculation-Flotation process of LiCoO2 and graphite using scanning electron microscopy and image processing analysis
dc.contributor | Aalto-yliopisto | fi |
dc.contributor | Aalto University | en |
dc.contributor.author | Rinne, Tommi | en_US |
dc.contributor.author | Saeed, Mohazzam | en_US |
dc.contributor.author | Serna-Guerrero, Rodrigo | en_US |
dc.contributor.department | Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering | en |
dc.contributor.groupauthor | Mineral Processing and Recycling | en |
dc.date.accessioned | 2024-04-17T06:40:01Z | |
dc.date.available | 2024-04-17T06:40:01Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2024-04 | en_US |
dc.description | Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s) | |
dc.description.abstract | This 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.version | Peer reviewed | en |
dc.format.extent | 12 | |
dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | en_US |
dc.identifier.citation | Rinne, 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.2024.108644 | en |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108644 | en_US |
dc.identifier.issn | 0892-6875 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1872-9444 | |
dc.identifier.other | PURE UUID: 20385bc6-45b4-461a-93a7-9f0926f0944f | en_US |
dc.identifier.other | PURE ITEMURL: https://research.aalto.fi/en/publications/20385bc6-45b4-461a-93a7-9f0926f0944f | en_US |
dc.identifier.other | PURE LINK: http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187517841&partnerID=8YFLogxK | en_US |
dc.identifier.other | PURE FILEURL: https://research.aalto.fi/files/143682599/CHEM_Rinne_et_al_Quantifying_the_degree_2024_Minerals_Engineering.pdf | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/127516 | |
dc.identifier.urn | URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202404173135 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.publisher | Elsevier Ltd | |
dc.relation.ispartofseries | Minerals Engineering | |
dc.relation.ispartofseries | Volume 209 | |
dc.rights | openAccess | en |
dc.subject.keyword | DBSCAN | en_US |
dc.subject.keyword | Direct recycling | en_US |
dc.subject.keyword | Froth flotation | en_US |
dc.subject.keyword | Lithium-ion batteries | en_US |
dc.subject.keyword | Scanning electron microscopy | en_US |
dc.subject.keyword | Selective flocculation | en_US |
dc.title | Quantifying the degree of selectivity in a Flocculation-Flotation process of LiCoO2 and graphite using scanning electron microscopy and image processing analysis | en |
dc.type | A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä | fi |
dc.type.version | publishedVersion |