Charakterisierung von metallhaltigen Nebenprodukten aus dem Lithiumionenbatterierecycling

This master's thesis aimed to identify and apply suitable analytical methods for the characterisation of metal-containing by-products from lithium-ion battery recycling. The focus was on overcoming methodological challenges and determining the material composition of three fractions (A, B, C), which were divided into ferrous (Fe), non-ferrous coarse (NFe Coarse) and non-ferrous fine (NFe Fine) sub-fractions respectively. The methodology included a comprehensive literature review, sieve analyses to determine the grain size distributions and chemical analyses using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS). A utility analysis was used to evaluate different analysis methods, with ICP-OES being identified for fine fractions and LIBS as an alternative for coarse fractions. The sieve analysis showed different particle size distributions between the fractions, with a high proportion of fines in coarse fractions, indicating process inefficiencies. ICP-OES analyses of the fine fractions revealed a predominant composition of aluminium and copper. The analysis of dust residues indicated a carry-over of active materials in the recycling process. A LIBS-based method was developed for the coarse fractions which, despite significant deviations for some elements, was categorised as helpful for a quick initial assessment. An attempt was also made to reduce the deviations with a correction model. The work identifies potential for optimisation in the recycling processes, particularly in shredding and screening. The results contribute to the further development of analysis methods in the field of LIB recycling. Future research should focus on extending the investigations to other fractions, combining LIBS with other analysis methods and developing efficient sample preparation and analysis methods for inhomogeneous materials in order to improve the accuracy of the results.