Abstract: A method of recycling batteries includes steps of: shredding the batteries to generate a shredded battery feed material, wetting the shredded battery feed material with an ammonia carbonate lixiviant to generate a slurry, separating the battery feed material in the slurry into a relatively light fraction material slurry and a relatively heavy fraction material slurry, processing the relatively light fraction material slurry in a first counter current ammoniacal leaching and decanting circuit to produce a first pregnant leaching solution including a soluble lithium (Li) component, and processing the relatively heavy fraction material slurry in a second counter current ammoniacal leaching and decanting circuit to produce a second pregnant leaching solution including, if present in the batteries, soluble nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) components and insoluble graphite, iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn) and rare earth element (REEs) components.

Abstract: A method of recovering copper from a feed material includes steps of: leaching the feed material with a lixiviant adapted to leach the copper from a feed material feed stream in a leaching circuit having a plurality of leaching vessels V1, Vn in series, establishing a countercurrent flow in the leaching circuit, simultaneously grinding the feed material in the feed material feed stream during the leaching in at least one of the plurality of leaching vessels and recovering the copper from the lixiviant.

Abstract: A method of recycling batteries includes steps of: shredding the batteries to generate a shredded battery feed material, wetting the shredded battery feed material with an ammonia carbonate lixiviant to generate a slurry, separating the battery feed material in the slurry into a relatively light fraction material slurry and a relatively heavy fraction material slurry, processing the relatively light fraction material slurry in a first counter current ammoniacal leaching and decanting circuit to produce a first pregnant leaching solution including a soluble lithium (Li) component, and processing the relatively heavy fraction material slurry in a second counter current ammoniacal leaching and decanting circuit to produce a second pregnant leaching solution including, if present in the batteries, soluble nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) components and insoluble graphite, iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn) and rare earth element (REEs) components

Abstract: A method of recycling a solar panel includes steps of removing a frame from the solar panel, delaminating a glass cover, silicon wafers and a plastic backing of the solar panel using a green solvent adapted to weaken, rather than dissolve, an adhesive used in lamination of the solar panel thereby generating a delaminated material stream, separating glass of the glass cover from the delaminated material stream, separating the plastic backing from the delaminated material stream thereby generating a concentrated metals stream, electrostatically separating insulator materials and electrically conducting materials from the concentrated metals stream thereby creating an insulator material stream and an electrically conducting material stream and separating silicon from other metals in the electrically conducting material stream.