Abstract: An interconnect structure includes: an interconnect layer containing a metal element as a main component and extending in a direction; a metal layer opposite to the interconnect layer, and a solid electrolyte layer between the interconnect layer and the metal layer. The solid electrolyte layer encloses the interconnect layer at least in a cross-sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the direction. The interconnect layer and the metal layer are electrically insulated from each other by the solid electrolyte layer.

Abstract: A method is provided which enables selectively leaching nickel and/or cobalt from an alloy that contains copper and nickel and/or cobalt in a waste lithium ion battery. This alloy processing method involves obtaining a solution that contains nickel and/or cobalt from an alloy that contains copper and nickel and/or cobalt, wherein the alloy processing method involves a leaching step for adding an acid solution to the alloy in a state in which a sulfurizing agent is also present, and obtaining a leachate and a leaching residue by performing leaching processing while controlling the redox potential (the reference electrode being a silver/silver chloride electrode) to at least 100 mV and less than 250 mV. In the leaching processing in the leaching step, an operation is performed that temporarily decreases the redox potential to less than or equal to ?100 mV.

Abstract: A method for treating a lithium ion battery waste according to the present invention is a method for treating a lithium ion battery waste using a converter furnace in a copper smelting process, wherein, prior to a treatment for charging a copper mat produced in a flash smelter in a copper smelting process into a converter furnace and blowing oxygen into the converter furnace to produce crude copper, the lithium ion battery waste is introduced into the converter furnace or a ladle that is used for the charging of the copper mat into the converter furnace and then the lithium ion battery waste is burned with residual heat in the converter furnace or the ladle.

Abstract: To provide a method for producing lithium hydroxide allowing obtaining high purity lithium hydroxide by reducing impurities to a preliminarily determined level in a step before a conversion step by electrodialysis. The method for producing lithium hydroxide includes steps (1) to (5) below: (1) a hydrocarbonating step of blowing carbon dioxide to a slurry of a mixture of water and rough lithium carbonate; (2) a decarbonation step of heating a lithium hydrogen carbonate solution; (3) an acid solution dissolution step of dissolving a purified lithium carbonate in an acid solution; (4) an impurity removal step of removing a part of metal ions from a first lithium containing solution; and (5) a conversion step of converting lithium salt contained in a second lithium containing solution into lithium hydroxide by electrodialysis. This producing method allows reliably removing metals other than lithium, thereby allowing an increased purity of obtained lithium hydroxide.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an alloy treatment method for obtaining a solution containing nickel and/or cobalt from alloys containing nickel and/or cobalt and copper, such as waste lithium-ion batteries, the method comprising: a leaching step S1 in which an acid solution is added to the alloys in the presence of a sulfurizing agent to perform a leaching treatment and obtain a leachate and a leaching residue; and a cementation step S2 in which a reducing agent and a sulfurizing agent are added to the resulting leachate to perform a copper-removal treatment for sulfurizing at least copper contained in the leachate and obtain a post-copper removal solution and a copper-removed residue, wherein the copper-removed residue obtained through the copper-removal treatment in the cementation step S2 is repeatedly subjected to the leaching step S1 and subjected to a leaching treatment together with the alloys.

Abstract: To provide a method for producing lithium hydroxide allowing increasing a purity of an obtained lithium hydroxide. The method for producing lithium hydroxide includes a lithium adsorption step, a lithium elution step, an impurity removal step, and a conversion step. The impurity removal step includes: (3A) a carbonating step of a step of adding a carbonic acid source to a second lithium containing solution to obtain rough lithium carbonate; (3B) a hydrocarbonating step of a step of blowing carbon dioxide to a slurry containing rough lithium carbonate to obtain a lithium hydrogen carbonate solution; (3C) a decarbonation step of a step of heating the lithium hydrogen carbonate solution to obtain purified lithium carbonate; and (3D) an acid solution dissolution step of a step of dissolving the purified lithium carbonate in an acid solution to obtain a third lithium containing solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method that is capable of selectively obtaining nickel and/or cobalt from an alloy, which contains copper. A method comprises: a leaching step S1 in which an alloy that contains copper as well as nickel and/or cobalt is subjected to a leaching treatment by means of an acid solution in the coexistence of a sulfurizing agent, thereby obtaining a leachate and a leaching residue; and a reduction step S2 in which a reducing agent is added to the thus-obtained leachate so as to reduce the leachate, thereby obtaining a post-reduction solution and a reduction residue. This method is characterized in that the reduction is carried out in the reduction step S2, while controlling the addition amount of the reducing agent so that the redox potential of the leachate is 0 mV or less as determined where a silver/silver chloride electrode is the reference electrode.

Abstract: A method for producing a lithium containing solution includes a neutralization step of obtaining an untreated lithium containing solution by adding alkali to a crude lithium containing solution and an ion-exchange step of obtaining a lithium containing solution in which a predetermined metallic element is reduced compared with an untreated lithium containing solution by using an ion-exchange resin. In the ion-exchange step, the predetermined metallic element is removed by passing the untreated lithium containing solution through a column containing the ion-exchange resin. A portion of the untreated lithium containing solution passing through the column that is a preliminarily determined amount after starting the liquid passing into the column is to be excluded from the lithium containing solution.

Abstract: A method for producing lithium manganese oxide that is a precursor of a lithium adsorbent under atmospheric pressure is provided. The method for producing a precursor of a lithium adsorbent comprises the following steps (1) to (3): (1) A 1st mixing step of mixing a manganese salt and alkali hydroxide, so as to obtain a 1st slurry containing manganese hydroxide; (2) a 2nd mixing step of adding lithium hydroxide to the 1st slurry and then mixing the mixture to obtain a 2nd slurry; and (3) an oxidation step of adding an oxidizing agent to the 2nd slurry, so as to obtain a precursor of a lithium adsorbent. The method for producing a precursor of a lithium adsorbent comprises these steps, so that a precursor of a lithium adsorbent can be produced under atmospheric pressure. Therefore, a precursor of a lithium adsorbent can be produced at a limited cost.

Abstract: Provided is a method for obtaining a solution having a high concentration of nickel and/or cobalt from an alloy that contains copper as well as nickel and/or cobalt, in a waste lithium-ion battery. A method for treating an alloy comprises: a leaching step S1 for subjecting an alloy that contains copper as well as nickel and/or cobalt to a leaching treatment by using an acid solution in the presence of a sulfiding agent to obtain a leachate and a leaching residue; and a reduction step S2 for adding a reducing agent to a part of the obtained leachate and performing a reduction treatment to obtain a post-reduction solution and a reduction residue, wherein in the leaching step S1, the leachate that has not been provided in the reduction treatment in the reduction step S2, is repeatedly used as part or all of the acid solution added in the leaching treatment.

Abstract: Provided is a producing method of granulated body for lithium adsorption that allows sufficiently suppressing a manganese elution in an eluting step when producing lithium on a commercial basis. A producing method of granulated body for lithium adsorption includes a kneading step of kneading a powder of a lithium adsorbent precursor and a binder to obtain a kneaded product, a granulating step of granulating the kneaded product to obtain a 1st granulated body, and a sintering step of sintering the 1st granulated body to obtain a 2nd granulated body. The configuration allows a manganese valence contained in the lithium adsorbent precursor to change from 2 to 4, and thus allowing the suppressed manganese elution in the eluting step. Further, in production on a commercial basis, the lithium adsorbent can be used repeatedly. In addition, a manganese concentration in an eluent obtained in the eluting step can be suppressed, thus allowing loads in steps after the eluting step to be reduced.

Abstract: Provided is a method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt with which it is possible to selectively and efficiently separate copper, as well as nickel and cobalt, from an alloy including copper, nickel, and cobalt such as an alloy having high corrosion resistance that includes copper, nickel, and cobalt obtained by dry treatment of waste lithium ion cells. An alloy including copper, nickel, and cobalt is brought into contact with sulfuric acid in the joint presence of a sulfurizing agent, and a solid containing copper and a leachate containing nickel and cobalt are obtained.

Abstract: Provided is a method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt, which is capable of efficiently and selectively separating copper, and nickel and cobalt from an alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt such as a highly anticorrosive alloy that is obtained by subjecting a waste lithium ion battery to a dry treatment and contains copper, nickel and cobalt. According to the present invention, an alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt is brought into contact with an acid in the coexistence of a sulfurization agent, thereby obtaining a solid that contains copper and a leachate that contains nickel and cobalt.

Abstract: Disclosed is A method for recovering lithium from slag containing at least aluminum and lithium, the slag being provided by melting a lithium-ion secondary battery to be disposed of to obtain molten metal containing valuable metal and molten slag containing at least aluminum and lithium and separating the slag containing at least aluminum and lithium from the molten metal containing valuable metal. The condition of the melting of the lithium-ion secondary battery is adjusted such that the slag has an aluminum to lithium mass ratio, Al/Lo, of 6 or less. The method includes: contacting the slag with an aqueous liquid to obtain a leachate containing lithium leached from the slag; and contacting the leachate with a basic substance to cause unwanted metal contained in the leachate to precipitate in the form of a slightly soluble substance, followed by solid-liquid separation to obtain a purified solution having lithium dissolved therein.

Abstract: Provided is a method for treating a sulfide, the method being suitable for obtaining nickel and/or cobalt from a sulfide containing copper and nickel and/or cobalt. The method relates to a method for treating a sulfide containing copper and nickel and/or cobalt, the method including pulverizing the sulfide by subjecting the sulfide to a pulverizing treatment so as to obtain a pulverized sulfide having a particle size of 800 ?m or less; and leaching the pulverized sulfide by subjecting the pulverized sulfide to a leaching treatment with an acid under a condition in which a sulfurizing agent is present to obtain a leachate. For example, the sulfide to be treated is generated by reducing, heating, and melting a waste lithium-ion battery to obtain a molten body and adding a sulfurizing agent to the molten body to sulfurize the molten body.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a lithium-containing solution that allows increasing a content rate of lithium in a solution after an eluting step, and suppressing an amount of an eluted solution used in a process after the eluting step, thus suppressing production cost of lithium. A method for producing a lithium-containing solution includes an adsorption step of bringing a lithium adsorbent obtained from lithium manganese oxide in contact with a low lithium-containing solution to obtain post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide, an eluting step of bringing the post-adsorption lithium manganese oxide in contact with an acid-containing solution to obtain an eluted solution, and a manganese oxidation step of oxidating manganese to obtain a lithium-containing solution with a suppressed manganese concentration. The adsorption step, the eluting step, and the manganese oxidation step are performed in this order, and the acid-containing solution includes the eluted solution with acid added.

Abstract: An alloy treatment method is provided, in which a solution containing nickel and/or cobalt is obtained from an alloy containing nickel and/or cobalt and also containing copper and zinc, the method comprising: a leaching step for subjecting the alloy to a leaching treatment with an acid under the condition where a sulfating agent is present to produce a leachate; a reduction step for subjecting the leachate to a reduction treatment using a reducing agent to produce a reduced solution; an oxidation/neutralization step for adding an oxidizing agent and a neutralizing agent to the reduced solution to produce a neutralized solution containing nickel and/or cobalt and also containing zinc; and a solvent extraction step for subjecting the neutralized solution to a solvent extraction procedure using an acidic phosphorus compound-based extractant to produce a solution containing nickel and/or cobalt.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for treating an alloy, by which a solution that contains nickel and/or cobalt is obtained from an alloy that contains copper, zinc, and nickel and/or cobalt, said method comprising: a leaching process wherein a leachate is obtained by subjecting the alloy to a leaching treatment by means of an acid in the coexistence of a sulfurizing agent; a reduction process wherein the leachate is subjected to a reduction treatment with use of a reducing agent; and an ion exchanging process wherein a solution that contains nickel and/or cobalt is obtained by bringing a solution, which has been obtained in the reduction process, into contact with an amino phosphoric acid-based chelate resin, thereby having zinc adsorbed on the amino phosphoric acid-based chelate resin.

Abstract: Provided is a treatment method whereby it becomes possible to recovery copper, nickel and cobalt, which are valuable metals, contained in a lithium ion battery waste and to separate copper, nickel and cobalt from one another effectively. A method for treating a lithium ion battery waste according to the present invention includes: an alloy production step S1 of introducing the lithium ion battery waste into a furnace and then melting the lithium ion battery waste by heating, thereby producing an alloy containing copper, nickel and cobalt; and an electrolytic purification step S2 of subjecting the alloy to such an electrolytic treatment that the alloy is charged as an anode into a sulfuric acid solution and then electricity is conducted between the anode and a cathode to electrodeposit copper contained in the alloy onto the cathode, thereby separating nickel and cobalt from each other.

Abstract: A method for producing lithium hydroxide that allows reducing a load of removing divalent or more ions with an ion-exchange resin is provided. The method for producing lithium hydroxide includes steps (1) to (3) below. (1) a neutralization step: a step of adding an alkali to a first lithium chloride containing liquid to obtain a post-neutralization liquid, (2) an ion-exchange step: a step of bringing the post-neutralization liquid into contact with an ion-exchange resin to obtain a second lithium chloride containing liquid, and (3) a conversion step: a step of electrodialyzing the second lithium chloride containing liquid to obtain a lithium hydroxide containing liquid. Since this producing method allows roughly removing divalent or more ions in the neutralization step, a load of metal removal with the ion-exchange resin is reducible.