A study on recovery of rare earth oxide powders from waste NiMH batteries

폐니켈수소전지로부터 희토류 산화물 분말의 회수에 대한 연구

For the recovering rare earths in the spent nickel-metal hydride batteries, 10 M NaOH is added to the solution leached with sulfuric acid. The rare earth powders were precipitated at rate of 98 % at the condition of pH 2.0 or less. The recovered rare earth complex precipitate increased the leaching rate to nitric acid by heat treatment at $800^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours. Subsequently secondary precipitation was performed by adding oxalic acid to the solution in which the rare earth complex precipitate was dissolved. The re-precipitated rare earth powders were converted into oxide form through heat treatment at $800^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours with purity of 99.5 %.

폐니켈수소전지에 함유되어 있는 희토류를 회수하기 위하여 $H_2SO_4$로 침출한 용액에 10 M NaOH를 첨가하여 희토류를 pH 2.0 이하에서 약 98 % 침전시켰다. 이후 회수된 희토류 복합 침전물은 $800^{\circ}C$에서 4시간 동안 열처리를 통해 $HNO_3$에 대한 침출률을 증가시켰으며, 희토류 복합 침전물이 용해된 용액에 oxalic acid를 첨가하여 2차 침전을 실시하였다. 재침전된 희토류는 다시 $800^{\circ}C$에서 4시간 열처리를 통해 산화물 형태로 변환되었으며, 이때 희토류 산화물의 순도는 약 99.5 %를 나타내었다.